Durc's Story (Book 1 of 9)
by RedRoseOfTexas
Summary: Like most who have read Clan Of The Cave Bear, I wondered what happened to the son she left behind. The following is where my imagination took me. This story begins where the first book ends, the tall blond woman disappearing into the forest, and the son calling out for her. Through hardship and tumult, Durc finds a life worth living among Broud's Clan, until...


Originally posted on Archive Of Our Own April 15, 2019

works/18420023/chapters/43630016

Durc's Story (Book 1 of 9)

Summary:

Like most who have read Clan Of The Cave Bear, I wondered what happened to the son she left behind. The following is where my imagination took me.

This story begins where the first book ends, the tall blond woman disappearing into the forest, and the son calling out for her. Through hardship and tumult, Durc finds a life worth living among Broud's Clan, until...

Notes:

I began writing this story as a commitment to learning a craft I had dabbled in for decades. If you subscribe to the 10,000 hour rule, the first chapter was written around the 1,000 hour mark. I added to it between work on my other stories, so the hundreds of hours spent on it represents a growing skill as I approach my ~9,000th hour.

The tale now spans thousands of pages in nine books. If you can suffer through the early chapters/books, hopefully you will find more value as I introduce new characters to the familiar story. I have no talent for writing the travelogue/medicinal botany, nor the explicit sex, though I dabble in the latter in later books. Please forgive my incompetence in these areas.

I have begun posting this here as an outlet for the next phase of my self-education, editing and publishing. I could never hope to publish this derived work for profit, and would not feel right in doing so, even if it were legally possible. The world Jean M. Auel created was a great gift to my young mind, and I owe her a debt that could never be repaid.

Chapter 1: Cave cleanup

"Maama! Maaama!" Durc cried out as the tall blond spirit walked away from him.

"She walks the next world now, Durc." Uba gestured as she held him back. He pulled against her as he watched Ayla, his mother, disappear into the sparse forest. He had no understanding of the spirit world, but he knew he wanted to be with her, no matter where she was going.

"Come, Durc." Uba insisted as she set about tending the injured. They had been lucky to escape any major injuries. All members of the cave had been gathered outside for Broud's first leadership meeting. When the ground shaking occurred, this meeting had saved them all. All except The Mog-Ur. He had gone into the cave after Broud had announced his intentionally hurtful commands. The Mog-ur died instantly in the collapse.

With Ayla's departure, Uba was now medicine woman of the cave, and her Clan was now her responsibility. She began making a tea, adding a few herbs from the otter skin bag. Her people would need a calming drink she thought, as she set about examining and treating the various cuts and bruises.

"We should clear out the fallen stones." Broud motioned to the men gathered around the cave entrance. None wanted to enter, but they did as their leader commanded.

"It is not safe in there." Brun said to the son of his mate.

"It is safe." Broud said defiantly, though he remained outside.

"There are often other ground shakings that follow the first. We should wait until we are certain it is over."

Broud was about to repeat his words but they all felt a small rumble under their feet. Rubble fell from the ceiling and walls, sending the men of the Clan running for the safety of open ground. It was now occurring to them that the cave was no longer a safe place to live. Broud began to think moving to a new cave would be a good thing, removing all the vile memories of the woman who hunts. If she tried to come back from her death curse this time, she would not find them. Before they could begin the search for a new cave, they would need to recover as many of their belongings as possible.

"Gather the travel shelters. We will stay outside tonight." Broud commanded.

Four men dashed in and returned with the necessary supplies for staying outside the cave. After that they began making short dashes one at a time into the cave, pulling out valuables such as tools, weapons, and food just in case the cave collapsed completely. Uba's mate Vorn was hit by a sharp stone on the shoulder as he carried an armload of the stored food. Uba tended to his wound, grateful he was only cut, and that nothing was broken. Durc continued to stare at the wooded hillside where his mother had disappeared.

"Durc. Bring me some firewood." Uba tapped his shoulder and repeated the motions. He complied with her request, but his eyes stayed on the tree line. When he returned with the sticks Uba saw his distress was gone. It was replaced with something else, determination. She knew he would try to follow his mother to the next world. That may be the best thing, but he is too young now, and he will need to be prepared for such a journey.

Chapter 2: New Cave

The next morning Brun went into the cave to tend to the body of his brother. The young Mog-ur helped him prepare his mentor for burial.

"It is not going to be safe in there." Brun motioned when he emerged.

"Are you certain?" Broud asked.

"There are large cracks in the ceiling that were not there before. I have seen this before. We need to find a new cave."

"I agree with Brun." Zoug motioned. Others nodded.

"We will begin our search in two days." Broud said, content with this course of action.

"Which direction will we go?" Crug asked.

Broud thought about it, scanning the possible directions. Her ghost had gone north into the woods. Broud decided to head in the opposite direction. "We will go south."

"That is the direction of our last cave. There is nothing in that direction." Brun said.

Broud was tired of Brun telling him what to do like he was still leader. "We will go south." He repeated angrily.

"Durc?" Uba said his name with concern. The boy just sat quietly staring at the woods where his mother disappeared. "Durc." Uba repeated, tapping his shoulder this time. He looked at her blankly. "You need to eat."

"When she returns." He motioned before looking back at the place where she disappeared. She had been worried he would run off after her. He had not, but he also had not eaten, drank, or even slept since she left. Maybe he had slept while she did, but he was seated and staring when Uba woke just after sunrise.

"I need your help Durc. We have much to do before we begin our walk to find a new cave."

"New cave?" He asked with concern.

"Yes. This one is damaged from the ground shaking. We need to walk to find a new one."

"If we leave, she won't be able to find us."

"She is in the spirit world Durc. She will not return." Uba motioned as softly as she could. He was too young to grasp the concept of a spirit world. "Please eat something, I need your help." She pleaded with him. This seemed to break through. He looked at her with concern, then seemed to understand her need. He reached for the platter of meat and picked a tough piece of meat still attached to the bone. He chewed it absently as he mulled over the forest as the entrance to the spirit world.

As the group walked, Durc kept looking behind, hoping to see his mother following them, running to catch up. The landscape changed day after day. Eventually the big mountains he had seen all his life disappeared from view. The moon cycled twice before they found another cave. All were exhausted and malnourished from so much time wandering.

"This cave is no good." Brun motioned to Broud.

"It is good enough." Broud replied with irritation.

Brun looked to the others gathered for support, but no one spoke up. They knew it did no good to go against Broud. "There is no water nearby, the cave faces northwest with no wind protection, and it is too small."

I am leader, and I say it is good enough. Do you want to walk another two moons and have no cave when the snow begins to fall?"

Brun had no answer. The direction they traveled to find this one was not the one Brun would have gone. He had told Broud this several times, only to be ignored. They set about preparing the ceremonies and rituals as the young men left to hunt the nearby plains for a suitable feast animal. Brun hoped they would fail, condemning the choice of this cave.

Durc helped Uba with her preparations, but she noticed that his gaze continued to wander north. They had traveled southwest, almost as if Broud wanted to get as far away from the woman who hunts as possible. It was a silly notion since she was dead. But she had come back from a death curse before. Even though that one was temporary, it was still a sign of great power to have survived such a thing, and Broud did not want any chance of seeing her again.

The two small deer the hunters found and killed were enough for a feast, but it did not bode well for their hunting prospects. They moved into their new cave, Durc staying at Uba's small hearth with Vorn. He helped her gather the grains, berries, and medicines in preparation for winter. The hunters returned continually with very little meat from their hunts, and it was not looking good for their winter survival.

"The hunting here is no good." Brun observed to his old friend, Zoug.

"Everything here is no good." Zoug replied. "We need to keep looking."

"It is too late for that. Winter will be upon us in a moon. We have no meat storage and not enough firewood. The spirits have abandoned us."

"The spirits were chased away. He cast a death curse without proper protections." Zoug motioned angrily. "You need to take back the leadership from Broud before we all walk the spirit world with the woman who hunts."

Chapter 3: Mammoth

The leaves were beginning to turn and there were no herds of animals to be found on the nearby plains. Had they been here earlier in the summer, there would have likely been thousands of grazing animals nearby. Uba and Durc climbed the slope above the cave looking for ? root that would help them get through a winter of protein deficiency. The younger hunters were far south looking for larger game.

Durc was collecting the berries into a pouch as he absently gazed North across the endless expanse of the steppes. Movements on the edge of his vision made him turn to his left and he saw at the bottom of the hillside a group of enormous long-haired animals. They were moving around as if playing, which fascinated Durc. It was like they were playing the chasing game he and Brac sometimes played. He saw two of them run at each other and collide. He motioned to Uba that he was returning to the cave. She still had things to gather and his help was welcome, but not necessary.

"Go carefully." she waved, and he was off running.

At the cave he grabbed the small spear that Crug had made for him, and he ran off again down the hill. Brun watched this with interest. He had promised the boy's mother to protect him and teach him to hunt, but wondered if the boy had any such interest. He spent most of his time doing womanly things with Uba. This grabbing the spear and running with an almost joyful determination was a promising sight. When he did not slow as he disappeared in the trees below, Brun thought it wise to see what the boy was up to. He motioned to Grod, and they grabbed their heavy spears and set off at a slow trot in the direction the boy had gone.

Durc stopped at the bottom of the hill and watched the two enormous bulls thrashing at each other as the females ran to stay out of their way. Durc knew this was not play after all. He wondered which of the bulls was going to win. The smaller one seemed faster and was able to evade the powerful tusks of the older one. He seemed to be circling the older bull waiting for the right time to strike. It was his time to take over this group, and he was not going to be chased off this year. He sidestepped a charge and swung his sharp tusks up under the belly of his rival. The older bull roared in pain as his belly ripped open and his life blood began spilling out. He chased and swung wildly, but the younger bull stayed ahead of him, and eventually ran him into a draining exhaustion.

The old bull stopped finally and his back legs collapsed. One last trumpeting roar announced his demise and he fell to the ground. The young bull rounded up his newly won harem and chased them off North, leaving the vanquished mammoth to die alone.

Durc walked slowly toward the fallen beast which seemed to watch him with curiosity. He walked right up to the animal feeling no fear of the gigantic beast. He reached out and touched the woolly forehead. The old bull rumbled as the boy stroked his head. He began to talk to the old man with the spoken words he had shared only with his mother. They meant nothing to either of them, but it seemed to calm the dying animal. It began closing its eyes one last time when it saw the movement of two larger humans carrying spears. Its head jerked up and knocked Durc backwards onto his butt. Angrily Durc rose, aimed his small spear and drove it into the eye of the beast. The animal had no energy left and let out a small whine of pain and fell silent.

Brun had reached the edge of the woods and stood frozen at the sight of the tiny, strange looking boy touching the head of the fallen woolly mammoth. He sprinted forward, desperate to protect the boy, not knowing his rash actions put the boy in greater peril. The mammoth saw him and jerked in one last attempt to defend itself against a known enemy. Brun was still five strides away when the boy jumped up fearlessly and plunged the small spear into the animal's eye. The animal stopped moving, but Brun kept his spear ready as he reached down and scooped the boy up and ran to a safe distance. The boy was laughing as Brun put him on the ground and turned back toward the animal. Grod had already removed a knife, cut the throat, and begun splitting the belly open the rest of the way.

"I am hunter like you Brun" Durc motioned excitedly.

Brun's face clouded at the realization that the 4 year old boy had done exactly that. He had found a woolly mammoth, the largest of all animals, and ended its life. It was extremely unusual, and this always caused Brun great chagrin. But here was the answer to their impending wintry doom.

"Yes Durc. You are a great hunter." He said indulgently. "No Clan hunter has ever slain a great mammoth all by himself. I need you to go tell the rest of the camp to come down here and help bring your mammoth back to the cave."

With a giant grin on his face, Durc sprinted back up the hill. An unbelieving crowd of women and old men followed him back to the site.

"The boy says he has killed a mammoth. I guess he means he found a mammoth, Brun." said old Zoug as he pulled out his knife and began assisting with the kill. "I sent the women back to get their butchering tools. I think it will be easier to do most of the work down here since it is closer to the water.

"The boy found the bull dying, but he did strike the final blow. He was fearless."

Zoug pondered this and then said "Much like his mother. I wonder if he will also attain her skill with the sling. He certainly has her luck. I was certain we would starve this winter."

They spent the rest of the evening preparing and carrying the meat up to the cave. They stopped only to cook and eat some of the fresh meat. Few predators made themselves visible, once again reinforcing how poor the hunting grounds were. The meat was dried and stored in the back of the cave, taking up a good portion of the precious space. Durc was thrilled as he reenacted the fight between the two bulls, and his subsequently heroic kill. The women talked among themselves saying the boy may be deformed, but he certainly had his mother's luck.

Chapter 4: Rage

Broud returned with his hunting party midday, proud of the bison they were able to cull from a small herd. Expecting to be greeted with relief that he had found such a bounty of food, enough to get them through half a moon, he was surprised that his clan was busy drying an enormous quantity of meat.

"Where did this come from?" he motioned to the man of his hearth.

"Durc." Brun grunted as he scanned the tree line carefully for any sign of predators. He offered no further explanation because he had little patience for the son of his mate. He knew the prideful explosion that was to come, and it pained him to see evidence of his failure to properly train Broud for leadership.

"What do you mean, Durc?" Broud gestured angrily. Brun turned away, raised his spear, and walked away as if he had seen a dangerous animal skulking in the nearby woods. Broud grunted to no effect and turned toward his mate cutting and hanging meat by the fire. Oga dropped her work and ran to get her mate the skin of water. She knelt at his feet holding up the water in supplication. He drank deeply in quiet rage, wondering if he wanted the answer to this mystery from a woman. He saw his Mog-ur emerge from the cave. He tapped his mate's shoulder and gestured for her to begin butchering his bison.

"Mog-ur." he grumbled sharply. "What is going on here?"

The young Mog-ur, absent the sage calmness of his predecessor, nervously walked toward the leader. "The deformed boy ran from the camp. Brun followed him and found him with this fallen Mammoth."

"So, it was dead." Broud gestured sharply.

"Brun tells us he saw the boy struck the final, killing blow."

"Impossible."

"I agree, but Brun would not invent such a story. The boy has his mother's luck." Mog-ur immediately realized his mistake in mentioning the woman who hunts, and stepped back from the angry leader. Broud turned and stomped away.

Broud busied himself as he mulled over Brun's continued protectiveness of the deformed boy. Brun never should have let the boy live in the first place. I am leader now, and I will never let any deformed children hurt my Clan. The boy spends all his time with the medicine woman doing womanly things. Even his mind is deformed. No normal boy would do such womanly things.

"Brun. What is this foolish story you are telling about the deformed boy killing a Mammoth."

"I saw it happen. The boy has made his first major kill, but he is young to receive the mark. I don't think a ceremony is proper at this time."

"Ceremony? Ceremony! What are you thinking, you stupid old man? That boy could not kill a rabbit let alone a large animal. How dare you utter such a crazy thing to the Leader?"

"Your temper still blinds you. We now have enough meat to get through the winter. I suggest you focus on making sure your Clan survives in this tiny cave to hunt next spring, not about a boy who is my responsibility."

"He is not in your hearth, not your responsibility."

"I promised my brother The Mog-ur, whose hearth the boy was born to, that I would train the boy to hunt when the time came because he could not. Durc is ready for that now, so he is my responsibility."

"You have always protected that deformed boy. He should have never been allowed to live. His mother should have died before he was even born. You should…"

Brun turned and walked away, the rest of Broud's wild gesturing unseen.

Chapter 5: Springtime

The small cave had the hearths painfully close to each other, and unfortunately close to the cold entry way. The older members suffered terribly, and by spring two had succumbed to the cold. There was only one pregnancy, and that miscarried half-way through the gestation period.

Durc had boundless energy and curiosity. He spent time with Zoug learning how to work the leather to make a sling for his small but growing body.

Durc sat with Uba preparing medicines for the spring fever ailment that seemed to hit the cave much harder this year.

"Uba? What was my mother like?"

"I just told you last night. Did you forget already?"

"No. I just like when you tell me stories about her."

Uba tried to think of a story she had not told him. "We went to the Clan gathering and they had this enormous cave bear."

"Why"

"Because that is part of the gathering's ceremony."

"Why?"

"Because we are the Clan of the Cave Bear. We revere the cave bear."

"Why?"

Realizing he was not really interested in 'why', she continued the story. "Your mother and I left the cave after we set up the hearth, and we went to see the bear. Your mother walked right up and touched the bear. Everyone was surprised that she wasn't afraid of the giant bear."

"Just like when I touched my mammoth. The bear wasn't dangerous?"

"It was very dangerous. Several days later it killed a brave hunter and severely injured another. Your mother raced in and pulled the injured one to safety. Her bravery is what made them accept her as medicine woman."

"Why?"

"She was one of the Others, so even though she was Clan, no one wanted to accept her as Iza's daughter."

"Who are the Others?"

"They are the people who live in the North. Your mother and I left the bear cage and that is when we met Ura's mother."

"Ura will be my mate. Will she be at the Clan gathering?"

"Yes, she will. She was small like you then, and Ura's mother was so happy to find a mate for her."

"Tell me about the hyena again."

"We were all cutting up the meat from the successful mammoth hunt, and there were a lot of predators around trying to get some of our meat. One of the hyenas raced in and grabbed Brac by his arm and started to run away with him. Your mother pulled out her sling and threw two stones that killed the hyena and saved Brac from being eaten."

"I'm going to learn how to use the sling as good as my mother. Zoug showed me how to make my own sling." Durc said proudly as he pulled it from under his mammoth hide bedding.

"Do you want to help me with the medicine?" Uba asked.

They went from hearth to hearth easing the various ills they found.

Chapter 6: Sling Time

In the practice field, all of the men and boys ran around, trading hand signals, and thrusting spears as imaginary animals fell to their death. This important teaching exercise was critical because humans were not as fast or strong as their prey. Cooperation was their only advantage. Zoug stood at the edge of the tree line with Brun and Durc, teaching the boy how to hold and swing the sling. He had gathered hundreds of stones into a pile over the past few days in anticipation of this lesson. Now he spun the pocket of leather on the end of tapering thong, the stone rarely even going in the direction he intended. He stopped and watched Zoug throw a few stones. He watched carefully but he could not figure out the timing of the release. Zoug felt the boy's deformed arm structure would not allow him to use the sling properly.

"That's enough for today, Durc." Zoug said gently. The boy was disappointed but nodded in agreement. Brun remembered Broud's angry reaction to similar failure years earlier, and the contrast between the two was stark. Broud's petulant rant had been a clear signal of things to come.

That night Durc had a dream about the spirit with the long blond hair. She was facing him, making nonsense sounds with a big smile. He returned the sing song babble and giggled. Suddenly she pulled the leather thong from around her head and flung two stones in quick succession and two fat white birds fell from the sky. He pointed at her sling and she bent down and showed it to him. She then proceeded to teach him how to throw stones precisely where she wanted them to go. Then she showed him how to put a second stone into the pouch as it swung around. Soon he was hitting rabbits as they ran across the field. He noticed a lone wolf sitting and watching him. He turned back and she was in the distance on the back of a horse, waving goodbye. The wolf howled a sad lament, and when Durc turned back the mammoth towered over him looking down. The large beast trumpeted a call as it walked into the next world behind the blond spirit.

Durc woke to a dim morning light and went outside to get wood for the morning cooking fire. Then he got the water skins and started downhill to the far away stream. He stopped and ran back to get his sling and then ran down the hill. After filling the skins with water, he left them on the high bank and looked for some proper size stones. Hanging one good stone in the pouch he began swinging the sling and released toward the other side of the stream. It arced high overhead and landed in the trees beyond where he aimed. Another try flew low across the water and hit the muddy bank. He again aimed for the big black stump and the third stone hit the bottom with a resounding thunk. Overjoyed, Durc jumped up in the air and danced around. He picked up the heavy water bags and ran up the long hill to the camp.

He got the fire burning and water boiling. He made several cups of tea with different ingredients. The one for Uba was energy and health for the baby that had started inside her. He knew she wanted a baby of her own and she was getting too old for such things. She had said her mother was very old when she had her, and had suffered greatly because of it. The tea for her mate was a calming mixture which would help steady his nerves on today's hunt. He made another one for Zoug with pain relieving qualities. The winter had been very hard on him and Uba thought he would not make it through another.

Durc brought the tea over to Zoug and knelt as a woman would do in front of him. Zoug smiled and tapped the boy's shoulder.

"This boy has brought you a soothing tea from the medicine woman. This boy would ask the master of the sling for another lesson today. I will try harder to pay attention to your instructions." Zoug knew he had made the tea, not Uba. As he sipped the familiar concoction he looked thoughtfully at the strange boy. There was much of his mother in him. She was a strange woman, but the cave had great luck after Iza took her in, and has suffered great misfortune since she was forced to leave. He was probably just too young to learn the sling. Most boys were not even interested in using it, and Broud discouraged them because he was never able to master it. Broud also probably hated it because it was the weapon of the woman who hunts. This deformed boy may never hunt with the men and may spend his days continuing to do womanly things.

Zoug gently admonished the boy for kneeling at his feet as a woman does. The boy continued saying it was proper to show his respect when acting on behalf of the medicine woman. He was strange that he did not spend as much time with the other children in play as he used to. Maybe not so strange because he had seen some of their interactions, and detected a growing note of ostracism for the deformed child. He remembered that The Mog-ur was similarly segregated by his deformities. Despite that he became the most powerful Mog-ur of all. Zoug doubted that Durc could become Mog-ur since he did not have the memories for it. But he should not have the memories for medicine either, yet I am drinking the product of his learning. He would discuss this with Brun later he decided.

"After the men leave on the hunt, we will go to the practice field."

"This boy is grateful." Durc motioned as he jumped up and ran outside to begin gathering more stones.

There was still mammoth meat in storage, but it was all the leaner and tougher portions. The men would go in search of fresh meat in hopes the spring herds would be more plentiful than the fall herds. If not, they would have to travel to the Southern sea to gather fish on which to regain their health. Fishing was done most years, but it was always better to wait for the summer winds to bring warmer waters to the shore.

As Durc ran ahead, Zoug and Brun walked and conversed. "If he cannot hunt with his deformity, perhaps he could be Mog-ur. Your brother overcame his deformity to become a great Mog-ur."

"He will be able to hunt." Brun gestured dismissively.

"I am not so sure. Even if he is physically able to, Broud may not let him."

"Durc will hunt." Brun motioned with irritation.

"I am an old man. I only have one season left. I say this as a proud member of your Clan. You need to take back leadership from Broud and find a better cave. Do this or you will all quickly follow me to the world of the spirits."

Brun sadly nodded agreement. "This has never been done before."

"If you do not, there is talk by some of leaving to join other clans at the gathering. Broud could be a good leader, but he is too prideful to admit mistakes. Settling in this cave was a mistake. Crug told me they found a better cave on a hunting trip last fall, but Broud forbid them to investigate it or tell anyone about it. You were a very good leader. Perhaps even better than your mother's mate, my good friend. We were first of all caves in both of the Clan gatherings you lead. Do you think Broud will accomplish that? He cursed our medicine woman with death because of a foolish childhood hatred. Uba is of Iza's line, but she is not Iza, and never will be.

"I walk the next world soon, regardless who is leader, and it will be a great relief for me. I look back on my life and wonder what I have contributed to this Clan. The image that always comes to mind is the two stones hitting the hyena that was dragging Brac away. That ugly woman was not a child of my mate, but she left a mark of pride on me. She said she learned to throw from me, but her skill was far beyond mine. I like to believe that I, in my way, helped preserve the life of your Clan's next leader, Brac. The last hope I have to contribute is to pass that skill to her boy. Creb told me in a dream he was our future. No, he said Durc was the future of the Clan. I have no idea how that could be, but I trust that man and hope to see him again soon."

"I had a similar dream after he walked the spirit world. The Mog-ur told me the same thing and that it was up to me to protect him. He did not say, but I know he meant from Broud. Now you say I must protect the Clan from Broud. It cannot be done. Even if I had the strength to, I have no will to do so. The spirits have abandoned us. Perhaps it is better that we divide among the other caves if they will have us."

"Maybe it is." Zoug resigned.

The boy stood patiently by the pile of stones he had created. Brun noticed there was now a large stone on top of the stump that they had been aiming for yesterday. It was about half the size of a rabbit. It was a good size to aim for if you were hunting small game. Durc watched him with fascination as he once again went through the steps. It is far different when you understood what was being taught. Zoug hurled his pebble and it hit the stump, just below the large stone. He instructed Durc to put a stone in his sling, surprised he did not already have one in hand. Durc lined up with confidence and let the stone fly. It went wide of the mark, but to Zoug's practiced eye, it seemed like the boy had aimed to miss. Durc looked to him for guidance and Zoug gestured to change the angle of his swing. He pocketed another stone did exactly as instructed, this time narrowly missing the stump. Zoug was now certain the boy did not need instruction, so he gestured only to try again.

Durc jumped enthusiastically when the stone hit the trunk, and he gave the old man a strong, childish hug. Durc will surpass my skill in no time, Zoug thought as he pushed the boy away with a grunt and told him to try again. The next ten stones hit near the middle of the stump. Zoug instructed him to swing it faster, which threw off his aim for a few stones. Then a louder thunk was heard as the boy increased the speed of both the throw and the movement of his arm. Zoug had not taught him this because his arms could not move in the same manner as Durc's deformed arms.

"You are much better today. Did you practice without me?"

"I had a dream last night and a blond spirit taught me how to throw the way she did it. It was a little different than how you taught me. I think it was my mother. I tried what she taught me this morning at the river, but it did not work because my arms are not like hers either. I then tried to do it some like her, and some like you, and I hit that big black stump. I need your help to teach me how to throw and hit small things, things that are moving. This will make me the boy who hunts."

"You already are a great hunter. Your mammoth kept us fed all winter." Brun said patting the boy on the head. "You are not the son of my mate, but you are a child of the Clan and we need great hunters like you if we are to survive. We are very proud of your hunting skill. Did you put that stone on top of the stump?"

"Yes."

"Can you hit it?"

Durc looked at it and shrugged. Picking up a stone he threw it with all his force and it missed just above. A second try with less force hit the stump just below it. His third try gave a distinctive crack as the two stones collided.

"Harder" Brun motioned. Durc could only hit about half his throws but each connection had enough force to move the larger stone.

"When you can knock that stone off the stump, you will be able to kill a hyena." Zoug said, amazed with the skill of this small boy.

Durc threw with renewed vigor, picturing his mother rescuing Brac from the hyena.

"It will take much practice, maybe a whole moon. You have enough force now to easily kill a rabbit, but they are very fast and difficult to learn on. We will look for a slower animal like a porcupine or vole so that I can teach you to hit a moving animal. Finish that pile of stones and we will go back to the cave."

"This boy is grateful for your instruction, Zoug" Durc motioned as they arrived at the cave.

"You continue to practice at the stream and practice field. Do not attempt to hunt animals yet, just focus on hitting a small target with as much force as you can."

Chapter 7: New Cave

Broud returned from a second hunting trip without any food and their stores were nearly empty. Brun went to Crug to ask about the cave he had seen. It sounded like a good location and less than two days walk."

"Broud has forbidden us to talk about it, but the mother of my mother suffered because she was so cold next to the entrance in the winter."

"The next trip in that direction I will go with you. I want you to point out the cave to me when Broud is not looking. I will inspect the cave myself." Brun gestured that he was done with the conversation.

Broud ran the group in a faster than normal pace trying to leave the old man behind. Brun had no problem keeping up because he had spent the previous two weeks secretly running on the trails above the cave. Even he was surprised how fit he remained after giving up his place as leader. He wondered if maybe he had given up the post too soon. The large cave was so obvious that he did not need Crug to point it out. He peeled off the back of the group and headed up the hill. Broud suspected that is why Brun had wanted to go along and now he was furious. He sprinted in Brun's direction shouting his name. Brun ignored him for a while, taking in the landscape before he slowed to a stop a few hundred yards below the cave entrance.

"I have forbidden anyone from talking about this cave. Who told you it was here?"

"Why would you forbid anyone from talking about a cave?" Brun deftly parried the question.

"I am leader. I do not have to explain myself to you."

"That is true." Brun gestured dismissively as he turned and continued up the hill.

"Brun. Brun!" Broud shouted as he ran to get in front of him so he could not ignore his signing. "I forbid you from approaching this cave."

"Why?"

"I am leader. I do not have to explain myself to you."

"A leader does not have to explain. A good leader does explain when the reason behind his decisions does not make sense. I do not see any reason to stay away from this cave." He started to go around him when Broud shoved him to the ground.

"You will go back down the hill and join the other hunters now." Brun stood up slowly facing away from Broud, looking off into the distance while he decided how to respond to this. He had known this would be Broud's response. He turned slowly with an impassive mask.

"I am sorry Broud." Broud had not expected anything like contrition from the old man. He was stunned into inaction by it. "I am sorry, son of my mate, for my failures. I am sorry for my failure to teach you how to be a good leader."

"I am a good leader, you stupid old man. I am better than you." Broud gestured angrily.

"No, Broud. You are a bad leader. You think of yourself, not your Clan. Your clan has suffered from your poor leadership. I have stayed out of it in hopes that you would see the error of your ways, but you cannot see past the tip of your nose."

"You know nothing old man. I am a good leader."

"No, you are not. A leader, any good hunter for that matter, would have come up here simply because it is the highest ground in the area. Your need to hide the mistake of the cave you chose has blinded you to a far better location, if not to live, then to hunt. It is…"

"I am not blind old man. I am the best and bravest hunter in all the Clan." Broud stuck out his chest and thumped it with his fist.

"If you are not blind, how is it you have been standing there facing in that direction so long and you have failed to see the giant herd of bison?" Broud changed his focus and Brun's out of focus head on an enormous moving background of black.

"Go get your people some food before they starve. I will explore this cave." He shoved the speechless leader down the hill toward his hunters.

Brun held his spear ready as he entered the large cave. The afternoon sunlight filled the large entrance brightly and rebounded around the first turn into an even larger second room. No torches were necessary to see the dry floor would make an exceptional living space for an entire clan gathering. He did not smell the presence of any recent animal habitation, but he did hear water running in a darker room on the left side of the large space. He decided to bring Mog-ur and the hunters back to fully explore the depths. He had no torch and would be no match for a cave lion or bear that might be in residence.

When Brun reached the hunting party, they were sectioning two bison to be carried back to the cave. Without a word, Brun hefted the largest hunk of shoulder and began a slow deliberate pace back toward the old cave. He was already thinking of it in those terms. Broud was silent on the trip back. He would get credit for the successful hunt because he was leader, but that cave was a looming vulture circling his head. He knew Brun would not stay silent about it. But moving to the new cave would be an admission that he was wrong about the current cave. If Brun knew about the cave, then someone was talking about it, and that meant everyone already knew about it. He would look foolish making them all stay in that tiny cramped cave if there was a better one. As long as it was his decision, then he would get credit for finding the new cave, and the current one would be just a memory. He decided he must make the announcement that they are moving before Brun says anything. He ran ahead carrying his relatively light load.

"I have found a new, larger cave for us to live in." Broud was announcing to the gathered group as Brun carried his load over to the area where the women did their butchering. "We shall have a feast in honor of this great news. Mog-ur, make preparations for a new cave ceremony."

Brun gestured openly. "We need to explore the cave and the surrounding area to know if it is actually a better place to live."

Broud choked down his anger and dismissively signed "Of course we will do that old man. Go make some torches for us to use tomorrow."

Chapter 8: Zoug's Warning

A half-moon later they had moved into their new cave. They began stockpiling the dark back caves with meat from the plentiful herds that could be easily spotted miles away. A spring ran from ceiling to floor in a side chamber so it wasn't even necessary to leave the cave to get water.

Despite Broud's poor leadership, his Clan thrived in the new cave. Healthy children were born, food was plentiful, and the health of every member peaked.

Durc was now able to hit moving targets, though he still missed occasionally. He regularly brought back fresh meat to Uba's hearth. He learned to cook the rabbits and always offered the best parts to Zoug when he brought him his evening medicine. He continuously asked Zoug to repeat hunting stories so he could learn all of the different strategies that could be used for each animal. Brun often joined them, and they both reminisced about the thousands of animals they had carefully stalked and killed in order to keep their people alive.

"Zoug, what is the largest animal I can kill with a sling?"

"The largest I killed was a hyena. Others have told me that small cats like lynx can be killed, but that is very dangerous if you miss."

"I saw a deer today and wondered if I would be able to kill it."

"I knocked down a deer once, but did not kill it. It got up and ran away before I could get to it with my spear. If I had hit the head, it may have killed it, but that is a very small target. I would use a sharp stone instead of a round stone. It may not fly as true, but you would have a better chance of causing a fatal injury."

The next afternoon Durc dragged the carcass of a full grown doe into the camp and began skinning and butchering it. Zoug noticed the large gash on the backside of the head. Dead center, literally. His final student was even more successful than he had dreamed.

Durc spent the next few weeks working the skin to a soft, supple fur. As the days grew shorter and the nights colder Durc offered the deerskin fur to his mentor to help him stay warmer at night. He politely refused, saying that he was warm enough. He suggested Durc give it to Uba for her baby that should come any day now.

"I will do that. You continue to teach me so many valuable things. This boy is grateful."

Boy, Zoug thought. He is no longer a boy. He has made his first large animal kill and Broud did not even acknowledge it. Yet he does all the things a woman does. He even does much of the work of the medicine woman, as Uba is confined to bed to help the baby stay inside. Is this the future of the Clan that Creb talked about? A clan member who is able to do the work of man and woman, hunter and medicine woman? Maybe he could even be Mog-ur and Leader? Broud would never allow that. Then Zoug saw it clearly. Durc only reminds Broud of the boy's mother who he cursed with death. He would do the same to Durc, wouldn't he? Brun would protect him, but he will not always be around to do so. Broud will take him out on a hunting party and Durc will not come back. He reached out to Durc and grasped his shoulder.

"This man is grateful for one last opportunity to teach. I have one final lesson for you. Do not trust Broud. It is a terrible thing to have to say. He hated your mother. That is a little used word in our language. It means he enjoyed bringing harm to her. He had nearly destroyed her will to live until you were born. You were her light, and his first act as leader was to take you away from her. Then he sent her away from all of us to the next world. He will try to do the same to you. Brun will protect you, but you need to protect yourself as well. Do not trust Broud."

Durc was disturbed by this dark message. It was totally out of character not only for him, but for anyone in the Clan. He remained silent. Zoug felt terrible robbing this boy of his childhood innocence. This was his manhood ceremony, delivered years earlier than is normal and without the proper rituals. Zoug decided he would do his best to watch over Durc from the spirit world. And that night Zoug went to the spirit world. Durc had a dream that Zoug was walking up the path to the cave and, as he waved goodbye, Durc knew he would not see him again in this world. On waking, he ran to Zoug's hearth and found he was cold and not breathing, an odd grimace on his face.

Chapter 9: Deformed

Durc heard Uba grunt in pain and went to get Aga to help with the delivery. Although Uba explained what would happen at the delivery, he would not be allowed within the hearth while it occurred. He watched indirectly and ran to get water when Aga was about to get up to fetch some. She nodded gratefully even though it was an admission that he was watching. Uba's baby girl was born just after sunset. She was normal and healthy except for a white patch of skin on the back of her scalp. This birth mark would never be seen once her hair grew in fully.

When Broud saw the baby the next day he declared it deformed and that he would not have any more deformed children in his cave. Uba calmly stated that the baby was not deformed, and she would not take it into the woods and leave it to die. Broud became enraged and began to admonish her.

Uba held out her hands and calmly stated, "I am the medicine woman. This child is not deformed. It is perfectly healthy. The Clan must accept her." It wasn't true, the leader decided what children were accepted into the Clan. After so many miscarriages, Uba was not going to give up on this perfectly healthy child.

Broud slapped her to the ground violently. She got up slowly and looked him directly in the eye. This was absolutely forbidden since it was very dangerous for a man during a woman's isolation. He turned away in fear and then began to swing another powerful blow her way. His fist connected with the far more solid barrel chest of Brun. Brun glared at him as he looked to see what he had hit.

Uba turned and left the cave, taking her wrapped placental mass out to the woods for burial, baby strapped tightly to her breast.

"You would kill the next medicine woman? What kind of fool are you?"

"You are the fool. You adopt one of the Others into the Clan, you let deformed children live, you let a woman hunt, you give temporary death curses."

"You are no longer Leader." Brun stated finally. "I am Leader and you will return to your hearth now and not leave it without my direct permission."

"Get out of my way, you foolish old man, or I will curse you with death for your insolence."

"Go to your hearth now." Brun repeated.

Broud tried to shove him but found Brun to be an immovable, stolid mass.

"Fine. Mog-ur curse this man with death for disobeying me."

Mog-ur looked down, then looked at Broud and shook his head. "Broud, you are no longer leader. Do as the Leader Brun says. "

Enraged he turned to his most loyal hunter. Crug would not meet his eye. Betrayed by all, he stomped out of the cave in a blind rage. He grabbed a spear and ran toward the small form of Uba disappearing in the woods below.

Uba was on her knees pushing the earth back into the hole she had dug when she heard something crashing through the underbrush. She feared it was a large predator like a mountain lion. She realized it was not when she heard Broud's grunting, heavy breathing and saw him run past her. He did not see her, for she was kneeling well off the path for this burial. She knew she was in danger, but did not realize that staying still was the safest thing to do.

When he was out of sight she jumped up and ran weakly back toward the cave. He heard this and reversed direction, quickly closing the distance to the woman who had only given birth the night before. He readied his spear and then she dodged to the side and stopped. The deformed boy stood there facing the charging wild man. The sling was in both hands. He slowed as he saw the spirit of the woman who hunts in the boy, her defiant sneer mocking him. He lunged with renewed anger, spear held high, and immediately felt the stone hit his thigh sending him sprawling to the ground in pain. He watched the two run toward the cave. He tried to get up, but his leg would not support any weight. The deformed boy had broken his leg.

Uba fell in exhaustion as she emerged from the woods. Her mate was there, and he lifted her and carried her and their baby back to the cave. Durc followed along behind, looking back warily as he walked. Brun strode into the woods and stood over the grunting Broud.

"That deformed boy broke my leg."

"You are very lucky he did not kill you." Brun said calmly.

"You act as though he was right to do it."

"You cursed his mother with death for no reason. What would you do to someone who killed your mother?"

Broud grimaced as the increasing pain drove all thoughts from his mind. Brun threw the son of his mate over his shoulder and carried him back to the cave. He laid him down within his hearth stones knowing he could do little more than crawl beyond them.

He went to Uba's hearth and motioned for Durc to follow him away from the isolation area.

"Durc, you have broken his leg."

"He was about to run us through with a spear."

"I know. I am not here to punish you. You have done a good thing in not killing him. We need all of our hunters if we are going to survive. I want to know if you can fix that broken leg."

"No. I can help Uba, but she is the only one that knows how."

Brun nodded, expecting that answer. "I will have Mog-ur create strong protections for those who are needed to help. Go ask Uba to prepare."

"Uba, Brun wants us to fix Broud's broken leg."

"Get some water boiling for a datura decoction."

Chapter 10: First Kill

Broud lay immobile in his hearth with a stick tied to his leg as a splint. Uba and Durc were able to set the leg but the stone had shattered the bone, so it was unlikely to heal completely. Uba explained to Oga that it will take very little movement for it to break again so he must be very still for 3 moons. After that it may be another 3 moons before he can walk on it.

"Keep him still or he may never walk again." She repeated to Oga to make sure she understood. It was going to be a very long and miserable winter for them.

At their hearth Durc asked what makes someone hate so much that they want to kill a newborn baby.

"I don't know. Perhaps he is possessed by an evil spirit. I don't understand the spirit world. You must leave now, I am in isolation."

"If he tries to hurt us again,. I will kill him." Uba bowed her head and said nothing.

A week later they had a naming ceremony, and Uba's first daughter was given the name Iba by the Mog-ur. He painted the lines of the Ibex totem on her leg.

Brun took Durc and Brac on the next hunting expedition to get them exposed to what happens. They crept up on a small herd of Giant Deer. Brun stayed back with the two boys as the hunters isolated a female on the edge and surrounded her. They closed in and killed her. As they began to skin and section the kill Durc saw some hyenas nearby creeping closer, hoping to get some of the kill. He stood up and flung a stone hitting the closest one on the flank. It yelped and ran away cackling. The other two backed off as well.

"Too far away," Brun gestured.

"Just a warning," Durc responded. "I would have aimed for the head if I wanted to kill it."

On the way back to the cave Durc spotted a small group of bison on the plains below. Brun considered going after them, but decided against it. "Perhaps tomorrow we will find them" he told Durc.

"I would like to hunt with you tomorrow, but I think I need to stay with Uba." Durc told Brun with chagrin. "She needs help collecting medicinal herbs far from the cave. I can help because I know many of the plants, and I can protect her."

Again Brun was struck with the wisdom of this strange young boy. Most boys would always choose to go on the hunt, but he sees the value of all aspects of the Clan. Even Brun was not always considerate of Iza's value, or that of Durc's mother. It takes all members of the Clan to survive, and the medicine woman is often the most important member. "It will be difficult without our bravest hunter, but protecting our medicine woman is best. Walk with Ursus, Durc."

"Uba?"

"Yes, Durc."

"Why did my mother leave me here, with you?"

"Your mother went to the world of the spirits. We will all go there some day. Your mother wanted you to stay here and learn the Clan ways before you join her in the spirit world."

"Do you miss her?"

"Yes. I miss my sister very much. I became medicine woman too young and I wish I had her to help me remember all the things I need."

"I miss her too. I don't think she is in the spirit world. When Aba died, she stopped moving and breathing. When my mother was cursed with death, she packed up her things and walked away. I think she left for a new place to live, just like they did in the legend of Durc."

"I thought the same when I was young and she had a temporary death curse. She did come back from the spirit world that time, but she cannot come back this time. Broud cursed her with permanent death."

"She will not come back. Her place is with the Others." He said with finality.

Uba looked up from digging the roots and saw the sad resignation on his face. "Durc, can you get me some of the ? leaves over there." She thought it was best to distract him from his grief with new information.

Durc was now beginning to understand Broud's hatred, and no longer blamed his mother for leaving. But would it have been possible for her to take him with her? If she had taken him, Uba and her baby might be dead now. Brun's entire clan may not have survived that winter if he had not found that mammoth when he did. He didn't think she knew he would be needed here, but he knew he must protect Uba and the Clan from Broud. Broud may be leader again after Brun walks the spirit world. Zoug said he should not trust him. He saw the way Broud looked at Uba and him when we tend to his leg. He has no gratitude for sparing his life. All he has is anger and hatred. He only waits for a time when he can finish what he started.

"Uba, be very quiet." Durc motioned as he picked up his spear and ran quietly into the nearby trees. It was normal for Clan women to make a lot of noise when gathering food to scare off small predators. Uba had frozen in fear not knowing why Durc had run off so quickly. She heard a muted screech from the direction Durc had run. She became even more nervous as the sound of something large began moving through the bushes toward her. She cried in fright as the antlers of the large deer broke out into the open. She then shook her head and grunted angrily when she realized the animal was animated only because it was on Durc's back as he struggled to drag it.

"Durc, you frightened me" she admonished.

"I am sorry, Uba." He motioned as he dropped the deer near his collecting basket. He walked over and embraced the woman who was now his mother. "You and Iba have nothing to fear when I am with you." He went back and began carefully dressing the deer. It would have been easier to carry if he had done this where it fell, but he did not want Uba to be alone any longer than necessary.

Uba marveled at the young boy. She did feel safe with him there. She went back to collecting her medicinal plants.

"This deer is very large. How did you kill it?" Brun asked Durc that evening.

"I was collecting black berries and I saw the animal pawing at the ground. He was upwind, so I thought I might be able to get close. I crept to just within sling range when he sat down on the ground. He saw me when I began to hurl my first rock and jumped up. I was aiming for the head as I usually do. I blinded it on one side and it kept running into trees as it tried to get away from me. My next stone broke its hind leg. I was able to catch up to it and finish it off with my spear."

"Are you able to throw two stones together quickly like your mother?"

"Not yet. When I am able to do that, then I think I will break two legs. Blinding it did little to slow him down. I was lucky that the trees were close enough together that his antlers snagged on them as he ran because he could not see both sides. This deer was still able to run well with one leg damaged. It will not run with two broken legs."

"You are probably correct. Durc, you are still young, but you are now a man. You have killed a large animal, and I will now count you among the hunters in my Clan. Mog-ur will have your manhood ceremony tonight after we feast on this magnificent animal."

Durc was shocked. He had no expectation of such an honor. He just saw the animal bedding down and decided to try to bring it down. "Brun, it was just luck. I am not sure I could do it again."

"You will do it again because you are lucky. Just like your mother was lucky. Your skills have grown and you learn fast. You have made this leader very proud."

"My mother was lucky?"

"Yes. She was lucky that my sister, the medicine woman, found her near death and healed her. She was lucky that she found our cave, which convinced me to add her to the Clan. She was lucky that The Mog-ur adopted her and taught her the ways of the Clan. We were lucky that she knew how to swim and saved Ona's life when she was washed out to sea. We were lucky that she had such a powerful totem that led her to learn how to use the sling. With that sling she saved the life of Brac, the next leader of this Clan. This leader was lucky that she was able to learn the magic of the medicine woman and helped us remain first among the Clans. Iza was too sick to make the journey and Uba was not yet a woman. Your mother brought honor to our Clan with her courage."

"If she comes back, will you let her stay?"

"She walks in the spirit world now, Durc."

"Uba said my mother walked in the spirit world before and came back. Maybe she will come back again."

"She walks in the spirit world now, Durc. If she were to come back, I would welcome her. We could use her luck. It is good that we have your luck though. That is enough."

"This boy is grateful."

Chapter 11: Rhino Hunt

Uba steeped ? in the tea. "Durc. Take this to Oga to give to Broud." Durc picked up the small wood bowl and took it to Broud's hearth on the other side of the cave. Broud glared at Durc with a silent burning hatred. He had watched the manhood ceremony from the flat of his back and could not wait for the chance to reciprocate the pain inflicted. Oga took the bowl over to Broud's side and knelt. He swung at her, knocking the bowl against the cave wall. Durc smiled slightly at the prostrate man, knowing that delay in treating the infection would only prolong the healing, or even bring his demise. The grin only served to further enrage Broud.

"You will pay for this." He gestured at the newest hunter.

"Perhaps, if you live much longer. That itching will get worse, and soon you will walk the spirit world. Are you in a hurry to see my mother again?" Durc motioned as he turned to go back to Uba's hearth.

"He refused the medicine."

"I saw. I am making more."

"I hope he continues to toss it away. I am going for water."

Durc returned later with a lynx over one shoulder and two water bags over the other. He dropped the water near Uba's fire and collected his tools to harvest the fur from the over confident feline. Outside he watched the sun fall to the distant horizon. This cave had a much better view than the previous one. He scanned the vast plains before him. He looked southeast as he scraped the inside of the hide. He saw some movement and stood to get a better look in the failing light. He called to Brun and pointed. Brun could not see what animals were out there, but Brac, who was learning to throw the bola from Brun, said it looked like rhinos. Brun had to take his word, and again realized his age was going to be forcing the issue of leadership. Broud's inability to move over the past few weeks did give him the opportunity to spend time teaching Brac. He was not assessing his just his hunting skills. He needed to know if Brac could become leader, or if he would have to put one of Broud's contemporaries in that position. Brac was at least 2 years from his manhood ceremony and probably another 2 years away from being capable of being leader. Brun doubted he would be able to continue as leader for that long. Even leading the hunting parties was difficult because of his age. Making Brac leader would only have Broud forcing his ways on the young boy.

"We hunt woolly rhino tomorrow?" Durc asked.

"Yes. We will try." He then began to describe to Brac and Durc the various strategies they had used in the past. Many of the other hunters joined them around the fire and some contributed their own stories. Durc paid attention to all of these different styles and began to see a different way. Most of the successful hunts ended in spears in the mouth or the eyes of the beast. This was extremely dangerous. If he could blind the animal with stones it would have no idea where the hunters were, and they could strike it in the sensitive places very easily.

As they ran toward the herd the next morning, Durc described his plan to Brun, who had fallen to the rear of the group soon after they left. Brun shook his head no after a little bit of thought and motioned that the rhino had bad eyesight to begin with. The spear in the eye was not to blind the animal, it was to kill by penetrating the brain. Durc fell silent as he ran with the leader. How do you get close without getting close? My sling is able to hit animals from a safe distance. If only I could throw a spear with my sling. A spear is lethal because the sharp point penetrates the animal's hide more easily. A stone kills with blunt force. "What if I threw a sharp stone? Wait. Why can't I throw a spear?"

"Hold him here." Durc told Brun, showing him the way he should hold the chest of the injured hunter. Durc used all of his strength to reposition the dislocated shoulder. The stoic man grunted and then showed great relief as it popped back into place. Durc let go and asked Crug to move the arm. All were surprised that it functioned properly after hanging uselessly.

"I thought that woolly rhino was the end of my hunting days." Crug motioned. "This man is grateful."

"It will be sore for many days." Durc replied. "Do not try to do too much for at least half a moon." He gave him more of the pain killing tea he had steeped before attempting the procedure. Durc then proceeded to use the fire to cook some of the rhinoceros meat. Most were content with their traveling cakes on the overnight trip, but none refused the fresh roasted meat.

"Again you prove your value to our Clan, Durc." Brun said after most had found sleep in their sleeping furs. "You are still a boy in the eyes of most, yet more capable than any of us."

"My spear did not even penetrate the hide."

"That would not have done much to slow the animal, but it did distract it. A few more moments and Crug may have walked the next world. Hunting rhino is for the young, I will not not attempt that again.

"It is good to know how, but I do not prefer the taste of the meat. I wonder if we will see mammoth this year?"

"Going to get another one by yourself?" Brun asked with the memory of the young boy making his first kill.

"I think it is better to share such a task with the group." He replied with a smile. "Too much to carry back to the cave. Will Broud be leader?"

"There may be no alternative."

"I will have to leave then. Uba will not be safe either. Maybe we should move to another Clan before winter."

"It would be too much of a loss for us. Without a medicine woman, we will all walk the spirit world very soon. How soon will Broud walk?""

"Several more moons, if ever. He will likely push himself too soon and re-injure the bone."

Brun nodded. "Stay the winter. It will be easier to move to another Clan during the gathering if that is necessary." Brun fell into deep thought and Durc let his mind return to the safer spear.

The hunters returned and Uba checked Crug's arm. She gave him the same caution to not overdue its use that Durc had given. Men of the Clan had trouble allowing any woman to have measurable power over them. The medicine woman was an exception they tolerated. Crug had glimpsed the much preferable situation of a man having the healing power, beyond that which the Mo-Gur brought with the help of the spirits. His mind made that tiny shift in deciding future health concerns would be addressed to Durc instead of Uba. He of course hoped he had no further need for such help, but that was not the way of growing older.

That night Durc dreamed of a spear thrown at a small deer. The deer easily jumped away before the spear was able the connect, but then the deer transformed into a condor and soared into the sky, swooping down to grab the spear from Durc after he had retrieved it from the ground. Durc held on and found himself flying high over the land.

When he woke he went about his morning chores and then set out to collect medicinal plants for Uba. His spear was thick and heavy, though smaller than an adult hunters' spear. He hefted it and tried to throw it at a small bush. It did not travel far, and it tumbled as it flew, hitting the ground sideways, well short of the bush. As he walked he thought about the two problems. How could he throw it farther and how could he get the point to stay in front? From his sling practice he knew that medium sized stones flew the farthest. Small stones seemed to be slowed by the air and large stones seemed limited by the strength of the arm that threw it. The spear was heavy for him, so he wondered if he could throw a thinner spear farther. When he got back to the cave he began shaving down a large spear with his flint knife.

Uba went about her daily work watching Durc in her peripheral vision. She noticed all the men watching him suspiciously. They did not like unusual things, and changes to hunting weapons were not normal. She brought him some water and inquired what he was doing.

"I am trying to see if I can make a throwing spear. Crug would not have been hurt if we were able to throw spears from a long distance."

"You did well to help Crug. He will be able to hunt again when his arm heals.

Durc hefted his lightweight spear and carried it to the practice field. Brun followed and watched from the edge of the woods. Durc threw the spear over and over but it always turned in the air, hitting his target at odd, unpredictable angles. It did travel a good distance though, a safer distance for his fellow clan hunters.

Brun turned and retraced his steps to the camp. He knew the boy was capable of more than the average Clan man and he wondered if this throwing spear would amount to anything. He remembered the man of the Others that had stayed with them when he was a boy. He hunted with a throwing spear, but none of the Clan could make the throwing motion as he did.

That evening the men gathered around the fire and took turns telling hunting stories. Brun began telling of a hunt that included a man of the Others. When Durc heard about the man's throwing spear he listened raptly and began asking questions. This was unusual during storytelling, but Brun indulged the boy.

"The tip held a small, sharp piece of bone, and the back held feathers."

Durc thought about that. He pictured in his mind the throwing spear and a piece of bone and began wondering how he could attach one to the other. Feathers? Why would it have feathers? To make it fly like a bird?

That night he dreamed of a hawk carrying a spear, diving toward its prey. The bird itself elongated and became the spear, its tail feathers guiding it down toward the mouse wandering unsuspecting on the tundra below.

Chapter 12: Clan Gathering

All were packed for the long journey to the Clan Gathering. There was no one too old to travel, so the cave was left unguarded from predation. The winter stores were deep inside stone cairns at the back of the cave.

Durc stayed at the back of the long line of walkers to be as far away from Broud as possible. He suspected Broud was planning to use the unfamiliar terrain to exact his revenge. Durc kept his sling and stones ready both in his self-protection as well as for guarding the rear from predators. A moving group had no fire to push the larger dangerous animals away, and for many this was just another herd from which dinner could be culled.

Brun also had suspicions, and kept his eye on Broud, stopping the group every time his son started to fall back. This embarrassed Broud that he was holding up progress, so he stopped trying to create a vengeance opportunity.

They saw the smoke rising from the fires of the gathering a half day's walk away. There was an increase in pace and several fell behind, Durc stayed at the back, and the last of them arrived at the cave as the rest of the group was settling in their hearths. He dropped his pack at Uba's hearth and asked her if she needed anything. She waved him away, knowing he wanted to explore the unfamiliar crowds to find his future mate.

"Go find her." she motioned, and he walked briskly away with that single purpose in his mind.

There were many stares as the deformed boy walked by. Durc knew of his deformity. He was now searching for that same deformity in the crowd. She was nowhere to be found. He saw the bear cage and remembered the story of his mother's fearlessness. He walked right up to the wooden stakes and the enormous bear met him, sniffing the extended hand for food. Durc rubbed the fur on the enormous forehead as the bear rubbed against the barrier stakes. It reminded him of the enormous head of his mammoth, though the fur was much softer. He was lost looking in the right eye of the big creature when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"You are Durc, son of Ayla?"

"I am Durc."

"I have not seen your mother, is she in the cave?"

"She walks the next world." Durc motioned matter of factly.

"Oh, my dear boy. I am so sad to hear this. I am Dava, I am medicine woman for this cave. I was looking forward to talking again with your mother.

"Her sister Uba is our medicine woman now. She has taught me much of her skill."

Dava was shocked at this, knowing Clan men did not have the memories for this. "Is that so" she motioned with a placating expression for the boy.

"We found some excellent ? root about four days walk from here so it is still very fresh. Perhaps you will join us for a livening tea in the morning?"

"That sounds very nice." Dava replied, a bit unsettled by this deformed boy's confident knowledge of a rare medicinal plant.

Durc turned to go, then began to ask "do you know of the girl named…"

"Ura?" Dava grunted.

Durc nodded.

"Her cave arrived several days ago. Ura is with her mother collecting berries for the feast. They went in that direction," pointing toward the setting sun.

Durc stared in that direction. He wanted to sprint in that direction, and yet he suddenly felt fear. Could she reject him? Perhaps she would prefer someone else. He turned back to rub the shoulder of the big bear, who now lay against the poles of his enclosure. Three other boys about his height, which meant they were a few years older, stood in the shade of a tree watching Durc. They were afraid of the bear, but did not want to show it. Durc could feel their stares, but only watched them peripherally. The bear looked at him wantingly, and Durc remembered his traveling food. He had skipped his midday meal so there was a good portion of dried meat in his travel skin. He pulled it out and the bear sensed it was for him and he sat up and begged, his paws outstretched. Durc broke off a piece of it and put it in the huge paw. Instantly it went into the bears mouth and the paw returned to beg for more. Durc took a small piece and put it in his own mouth and chewed slowly. The bear did not move but his anticipation was obvious. Durc took another large piece and held it high. The bear stood on its hind legs and put his short snout between the bars and waited for the treat to be deposited directly in his mouth. Durc obliged and as the bear sat back down Durc placed the small remainder in his mouth and turned to walk back to Uba and the cave.

Many had stopped to watch his interaction with the bear, and Durc felt even more eyes on him. The three boys ran to intercept him when he was a safe distance from the cage. They stopped him by blocking his path. The one in the middle motioned a formal greeting.

"I am Cras, son of the mate of this cave's leader. I welcome you."

"This man is grateful for your welcome."

"Don't you mean boy?" the one on the left said in confusion.

Durc lifted his wrap to expose the leg scar that signified his wolf totem.

The boy on the right was duly impressed. "What beast did you kill for your manhood ceremony? How did you do it?"

He looked slowly at each of them, being as uninterested as he could manage. "A giant deer. I killed him with my sling." Patting the pouch hanging from his waist thong.

The middle one snorted in derision. "Impossible. I don't believe you. A sling is not capable of such a kill. The other hunters killed the animal after you tapped it with a stone."

"I was alone." Durc motioned curtly. The three boys' eyes went wide in disbelief. "It was heavy to carry, but I was not too far from my cave, so I made two trips." He did not mention that he was dragging both halves of the beast most of the way. "This wrap is made from its hide. I prefer the tender meat of smaller deer, but they are often faster and harder to kill. This one made a good feast."

He saw the leader boy getting ready to call him a liar again. He headed him off with a question. "What did you kill for your manhood ceremony?"

The other two looked at their little leader and shoved him playfully. The boy on the left said "None of us have made our kills yet. I am Iban. I am from a cave by the great sea. He is Grac and he comes from a cave so far away it took two moons to get here."

"It wasn't that far, we were lost." Grac motioned with another playful shove.

"Can you show us how you use your mighty sling to bring down such large animals?" Durc realized Cras was still doubting him.

"Where is your practice field?" Durc asked.

The four boys grabbed their spears and ran up the hill into the woods. Durc knew with all the people and fires there weren't going to be any large animals nearby. He set a few fist size rocks on a stump and walked a good distance away. He then began telling his hunt story and the boys watched with anticipation as they stalked the stone adorned stump. Durc readied his sling and at the proper time in the story he let a stone fly, knocking one of stones cleanly off the stump. He then moved around erratically, giving the illusion that the stump was trying to evade him. He knocked a second stone off the stump. The boys were very impressed. None of them could have even hit the large stump itself. He then sent two stones in quick succession, knocking the remaining two stones to the ground. He then grabbed his spear and ran quickly in to put the stump out of its misery. The boys had never seen two rocks thrown so quickly.

"Can you hit a moving target?"

Durc looked around and saw an apple tree on the other side of the clearing. "Throw one of those apples in the air. Iban did so and Durc hit one after another to the delight of his new friends.

"What did the bear's fur feel like?" asked Iban.

"You haven't touched him?" They all shrugged dejectedly.

Cras said "The leader won't let me go near him. Nobody goes near him except Grood who feeds him. Even Grood doesn't touch him. How did you know he wouldn't bite you?"

"He's just a big baby. My mother took me right up to the bear at the last Clan gathering. She was never afraid of animals, so I have never been afraid. Why don't we take some of these apples back and you can feed him and touch his fur." As the three boys practiced with their spears and Durc told hunting stories, he wove a simple carrying basket and filled it with apples. The boys ran back down to feed the bear as the sunshine began to dim.

Durc slowly fed the apples as the boys stroked the bears head and back. Then they each took a turn putting an apple in his mouth. Grok, the leader of the cave, came back from a meeting with the other leaders and saw the boys near the cage. He went over and admonished them to stay back and find something else to play at. Durc folded his basket with the few remaining apples and pushed it between the stakes.

Durc turned to the crowd, again gathered and gawking at the deformed boy. One face was different than the rest. She looked down and away when he looked at her. He started toward her when Brun called for him to follow with the other hunters. He hesitated, turned back toward the shy girl, and motioned one word to her. He could swear she smiled. Then he followed Brun to the back of the long, narrow cave. His new friends looked on with jealousy.

They discussed the plan for the next day's hunt. A scout had seen some bison to the north and they would send ahead runners in the morning to see if they were still there. Durc noticed that Brun stayed in the background, allowing Grok to organize the proceedings. Broud paid no attention to him, talking with several of his contemporary hunters. Some women brought in trays of food and they broke into groups to eat. Brun called Durc over to sit with him and the oldest hunters. He ate his fill of the mammoth roast and quietly watched the old timers talk of old times. When Brun started telling them of Durc's first mammoth "kill", Durc was surprised. He then proceeded to tell of his other hunts, both alone and with the other hunters. Then he told of his training with Zoug and how amazing his sling skills had become. Durc didn't know that others had wanted to exclude him because of his youth. This was Brun's way of convincing them to accept Durc.

Later he pulled Durc aside and told him he wanted the boy to leave at sunrise and scout the terrain to the northwest and report back to the group by mid-morning. After that he was to return to the cave and help the medicine woman with anything she needed. Durc knew this was unusual, and was worried about not being included in the hunt. He thought about why Brun would want this. Brun then told him he was not going on the hunt himself. This was even more unheard of, but then Durc realized Brun would not be there to protect him from Broud, and it all became clear.

Durc thought about it and asked "Can I bring my new friends on the scouting run? I think Cras, the son of this cave's leader's mate, would be helpful since he is familiar with the area."

Brun considered this. The boys looked to be near their manhood rights, and should be safe enough, especially with Durc there to protect them. "I think that will be good, but I will get Grok's permission first." The two walked over and discussed things with the younger leader. He agreed with a pronounced hesitation.

Durc left the cave and saw many shadowy groups arrayed around the fires. His friends spotted him and came running over.

"Durc, you really are a hunter. Uba was telling stories about you to the other women. She talks about you like a proud mother."

"She has been my mother since my weaning year when my mother was sent to the spirit world." None of the boys said anything, but all thought the choice of the word 'sent' was very strange.

Iban motioned "She said you healed a hunter's arm while on a hunting trip. Are you a Mo-gur too?"

Durc thought about it. "I was born to The Mo-Gur's hearth, but I have not been training with our cave's Mo-gur. I have learned some medicine from Uba because I help her with her work."

"But you don't have the memories," stated Grac.

"No, but I can remember things. Would you three like to go scout for animals with me tomorrow?" Their eyes went wide with excitement.

Chapter 13: Unlucky

Durc saw Ura several times, but did not approach her for the rest of the night. At first light he packed his hunting gear and the four boys headed down around the back of the hill and followed the ridgeline northwest to an overlook.

The plains to the west were wide and bordered with high, bare mountain peaks. To the south the great sea was at the edge of the horizon, probably several days walk. All four scanned the open tundra for movement, but saw none. Durc scanned for a better overlook position to move to, but Cras had brought them to the best one. Iban was unusually stoic, perhaps contemplating the role he was now playing. Grac grew bored with the looking and wandered toward the tree line. The sun climbed slowly and Durc decided it was time to report back, even though there was nothing to report. He asked Cras if there was a different path back to the cave. Cras pointed northeast and told him the longer way back was down the steep incline and around the brown hill.

Durc thought for a few moments, scanning the breadth of the valley. "I will go back that way. I need at least one of you to bring our scouting report back to the cave. Both Cras and Iban wanted to continue the adventure with Durc. When Grac wandered back into sight Cras waved for him to join them. He told Grac to run back to the cave and tell Brun that they had seen no herds in the northwest valley. Grac was thrilled to have something to do instead of just looking, so he sprinted off down the ridge line.

Durc turned back to scan the northwest horizon. Suddenly a chill shot through Durc and he was paralyzed by a sudden desire to jump off the cliff and fly northwest. It was gone almost as quickly as it had come. He stared, knowing something was right there, just out of sight over the horizon. He felt a wild mixture of emotions that he could not explain. Sadness as strong as he felt when his mother had walked away to the spirit world. Elation as he had felt the first time he saw Ura. Hatred as he had felt when Broud fell to his stone sling. Love as when he and his mother played their word games in the springtime meadow. The shout came out reflexively "Mama! Mama!" Seconds later the mountains repeated his cries several times, fading on each iteration. One hundred miles northwest a golden haired pair walked with horses and a lone wolf. One of them looked southeast wondering, an aching emptiness in her heart. They had no place in each other's world.

Durc's feelings faded, and only a resignation remained. He turned to the confused faces of his friends and motioned to start down the hill. As the three adventurers slowly made their way down the steep, rocky path the valley was lost from sight. They walked through the dense pines at the base of the brown hill and Durc taught them how to walk more quietly so as not to scare off the animals. They had always been noisy when out gathering with their mothers. Women were not hunters, not allowed to hunt, so the best thing for them was to scare the animals away. Durc was surprised these two had not been shown the quieter arts of hunting from the leaders, but they learned quickly and soon they were on the trail of a small buck that was nibbling on the leaves of bushes at the edge of the stream that wiggled its way into the valley. The occasional muddy track told Durc that they were gaining on him, but they had not seen or heard him yet.

The sun was almost at the peak of the day when Durc, in the lead, caught the dipping motion of antlers in a clearing ahead. He froze, putting up his hand, and the boys behind him also stopped a split second later. Durc knew they were cross wind and he could circle around to the downwind side and get close enough for the kill. He told Cras and Iban to stay hidden there, but to be ready with their spears if the beast came running in their direction. They both looked scared and excited at the thought.

Durc quickly and quietly moved through the woods near the edge of the clearing. When he reached the far side of downwind he readied his sling. The hind end was facing him and the head was up, looking in Cras and Iban's direction. Durc moved forward slowly to clear the trees and then like lightning let the two stones fly, one for each of the back legs. The young deer jumped and ran directly forward. After a few strides it became obvious to all that the rear legs had been severely damaged, and it was soon struggling awkwardly forward, dragging its crippled legs across the low grass. Durc grabbed his spear and gave chase to the young buck. He waved the other boys to run forward. The deer tried to turn, finally seeing his mortal enemies closing in. He half stood breathing hard, trying to think of how to escape. Durc thought about letting his friends take the animal the rest of the way down, but those four-pointed antlers were dangerous weapons. Durc stabbed his spear in the dirt, waved for the two boys to slow and spread out, to surround their quarry. He let two more stones fly, one shattering a foreleg and the next hitting the back of the head. The deer fell on its side, flailing about in a dazed craze. He signaled Cras to stab the neck hard and watch out for the antlers. Then Iban came from the other side and put his spear through the heart. After a few twitches, the animal stopped moving.

Durc fell on the beast and began dressing out the insides and explaining what he was doing. Cras and Iban were jumping around ecstatically with the realization of what they had done. Durc then pulled some thick cord and tied the front and back legs together. Sliding his spear through the tied legs and directed Cras to pick up one end of the spear and they lifted the animal between them. The antlers were dragging on the ground so Durc dropped his end of the spear and cut the rack off and handed it to Iban. They took turns carrying the heavy load back to camp. Grac met them close to the cave and shouldered one end of the pole as Iban related the story of their kill to him.

As they walked into camp Durc saw Ura again, standing with her mother Oga he assumed. He guided the four-boy group toward them and laid the burden down near them. He walked to Oga and gestured a formal greeting. "This boy greets you. I am Durc, son of Ayla. Are you Oga?"

Oga nodded demurely and replied, "Yes, I am Oga, and this is my daughter, Ura." Ura gave only a quick glance at him before looking down again.

"I would very much appreciate if Ura would help me cut up this animal my friends and I have brought from the forest behind the mountain." Durc said, pointing above the cave.

"We will be most happy to do this task for you, Durc."

"Thank you. We will carry it down to the stream so it is more convenient."

The mother and daughter collected tools and followed them.

Durc cut the leather thong holding the legs together and then began to expertly cut the large skin from the carcass in one large piece. He then began scraping the inside surface to clean it. He folded it and handed it to Cras. "This is for you, Cras. Iban shall keep the antlers. We will all remember this hunt. A hunt of friendship."

Iban and Cras darted off with their gifts to tell their mothers of their adventure. Durc turned back and began helping to cut up the meat, looking at Ura in his peripheral vision. He could tell she was watching him as well. There was only one long leg bone that was not shattered. He extracted it, cleaned it well in the stream, and then set it aside for Grac. Durc then cut away the spine and extracted the large tenderloin and placed it in a basket he quickly wove from reeds. The butchering was nearly complete, so he turned to Oga and said. "Oga, Uba will cook this tenderloin tonight for her mate Vorn and I. I would like you and Ura to join us at our hearth for the evening meal." She nodded demurely.

He shouldered a large portion of the meat and carried it back up to the cave. He saw Cras with his mother and asked where she would like the meat from her son's hunt. She motioned for him to leave it there and she would include it in tonight's meal. Durc carried the basket with the tenderloin over to his hearth and began preparing the meal himself.

Uba came by a little later, surprised that he was cooking. "You do not eat with group?"

"We do not eat with group. We eat with Oga and Ura." Durc gave her a look that was both pleading and triumphant.

"I will make berry tea to accompany the meal." She replied in acquiescence. At the Clan gathering it was easier to cook and eat as a group, but only the ceremonial feasts had a more formal constriction. "Dava stopped by for root tea this morning. She said you invited her and was surprised you were not there to join us."

"Sorry, I forgot to tell you."

"It was very nice for you to ask her. She was very interested in you and your medical training. We talked for many hours and your name kept coming up. I explained that you had to help with the hunt and she was again surprised that you were a man who hunts, since she knows you were only a baby at the last Clan Gathering."

Durc did not respond to any of this, just continued with his cooking.

"She asked if you had been mated yet."

Durc stopped. "What did you tell her?"

"I told her you were not mated yet, and that it was up to the leader Brun whom you mated."

"There is only one for me. She is so perfect, but she is not yet a woman."

"You are not a man yet either. You are a great hunter, but you are young, and you still live at our hearth. She is perfect? You know her so well already?"

"I don't know her at all. We have spoken only one word between us."

"What word was that?"

Durc sidestepped the question. "We have both been told that we are for each other, but it did not have to be so. We both have the same deformity and we have nobody else."

"That is not true. Several of the unmated women have shown interest in you." Uba said slyly, gaging his reaction. He showed no interest.

"She is for me, if she will have me." Durc motioned with finality.

Oda arrived with Ura, and Uba prepared bone platters of the tender meat for them. They all sat quietly enjoying the food, Oda occasionally remarking how well Uba had cooked it. Uba did not correct her since Durc's ability and desire to do womanly things like cooking was not seen as normal among people of the Clan. When they finished, and they were sipping the flavorful tea Uba had prepared, Oda and Uba broke the silence and began discussing the things that had been on all of their minds.

"Uba. I know Ayla is no longer with us."

"This is sad, but true. My sister walks the spirit world."

"Do you know of the arrangement we made at the last Clan gathering?"

"I do."

"Is it an arrangement that you will consider, in your sister's place?"

"I have no objection, but the arrangement is up to leader Brun."

"I am glad to hear that. I have a further request, which may be a terrible burden on your leader."

Uba was intrigued. "What would that be?"

"My mate was killed last autumn while bravely hunting mammoth. There is no other who will have me because I am considered unlucky. Ura is the only child I have, and she is of mixed spirits. I was wondering if I could come to your cave with Ura at the end of the gathering."

Uba sat in contemplation. There were no men in Brun's clan that would make a suitable mate for her even though she was still relatively young and healthy. She would have to become a second mate to one of the hunters, adding a burden to all. If she could not produce more children, she would be an even greater burden. Uba could see Vorn going through the same thoughts as her. Brun would never agree to this. Uba would need to find a solution before presenting it to Brun.

Durc wondered if this would break the arrangement if Brun did not allow Oda to come with them. Oda was waiting for a response, but it was an insolvable puzzle. Ura motioned her first words after the long silence. "I am unlucky." Then she stood and ran out of the cave.

Oda apologized for the outburst. "She has been so distraught since the man of her hearth was taken to the spirit world. She blames herself for it. This is silly, I am the one who is unlucky. It would be better if I walked the spirit world."

Durc was paralyzed. His future, so dependable and sure, was now anything but that. His emotions began churning. What could he do to fix this? He ran through every possibility, but no solution came to him. He started to speak words of reassurance, and all of a sudden it was there.

"Oda, you are not unlucky. You are the mother of my future mate. I will support Ura, and I will support you as well. You will be part of my hearth until we all walk the spirit world."

Uba, always practical, motioned for Durc to stop. "Durc. You have no hearth of your own. You cannot make such promises. Brun makes these decisions."

"I can make such promises, and I will do this, even if I have to start my own cave to do it." The impetuous emotional rantings of a boy, Uba thought to herself.

"We would join you in your new cave, Durc." Uba was shocked to see her normally submissive mate saying these words. Had she put something wrong in their tea, this was crazy!

"Vorn, you cannot say such things."

"You do not tell me what I cannot say, woman." There was resolve, not anger in his posture. "Broud has been evil to me since Durc broke his leg. He makes hunting dangerous for everyone, but especially me. He hates us all and it is only a matter of time before his vengeance is satisfied."

Uba was shocked. Vorn had mentioned none of this to her. Oda was also shocked. What did he mean Durc broke Broud's leg? Broud wanted to hurt members of the Clan? What evil spirits gripped Brun's Clan? Ura should not go to such a place, but where else could she go? She was unlucky and it was getting worse with every season. Just then Broud entered the cave with his pronounced limp, and Oda saw the malevolence in his face as he looked at the group. This group she had just asked to join.

After he passed, Oda gestured her gratitude for the delicious meal and moved to leave. Durc stood and walked out with her, knowing they needed to find Ura. Uba just stared at her mate, not knowing what to say or do. He took her hand in reassurance.

Chapter 14: Uncertainty

In the darkness, far from the firelight, Durc wandered in search of his once clear future. Ura was with her mother, the two clinging tightly as their world seemed to crumble even further around them. Durc needed to fix this for all of them. Broud was a problem, but now he realized it was not just him in danger. He could not bring Ura into Broud's dangerous world. If he left Brun's Clan, would Vorn and Uba be safe? Maybe, but how could he be sure. He had hoped Broud would just attack him because he knew he could finish him quickly if he was prepared. Could he do it before Broud attacked? No. Could he provoke the attack without anyone else knowing? Doubtful. If they were alone he could do that. Provoke him, finish him off, and his loved ones would be safe again. Would Brun believe him? Probably, but then he remembered Brun's words. 'We need all the able-bodied hunters we have just to survive.' Broud was the son of his mate, would he forgive Durc if he killed him?

Durc stopped walking when he heard a low growl. Two eyes glittered weakly in the moonlit darkness. Wolf's eyes. If he was with a pack, Durc was dead. Then he would be with his mother and all his earthly problems gone. But he had people to protect. Durc slung a stone and listened for this wolf's friends, not taking his eyes off the wolf's. They blinked once. Then again. Silence. Then they disappeared as the wolf turned and trotted away into the darkness. A lone wolf.

My own cave. What a foolish thought. Could I survive on my own? Food would not be a problem. Clan men did not cook, but he did. Clan men did not preserve meat, or dig roots, but he did. He could heal himself with Uba's medical knowledge. He did not know the ways of the Mo-Gur's spirit world, but was that necessary to survive? From the edge of the firelight he watched the Clan working together to survive. They did more than that, they thrived.

Could he thrive on his own? Not without Ura. He did not even want to survive without her. No, just the two of them could not thrive. She would be alone while he was out hunting. Alone with our children, vulnerable to all forms of predators. That lone wolf would make an easy meal of her. How many was enough? Two hands? Brun's clan was twice that many now. Vorn and Durc could hunt, but they would need more hunters. The hunters would need mates. His Clan would grow as children were born, but how many to start with?

The next day Durc found his friends sullen and subdued, watching the bear from a distance. Durc brought some scraps to the bear, and after giving him some attention, walked over to his friends. "What is the matter?"

Cras motioned "My leader was very angry that we hunted with you. He said we could have been seriously injured and we were not ready to be hunters."

"But you are hunters, now. There was no danger in what you did." Durc replied coolly.

"That is not how he sees it. I am not to leave camp with you anymore."

"That is unfortunate. I was going to explore the forest south of here and I would have liked to have you as a guide." All three boys looked up with excitement in their eyes.

Cras said "I cannot disobey my leader. But if the three of us were to just coincidentally run in to you out there in the woods, and then we come back to camp separately, no one would know."

Durc saw that he had been thinking about this. "It is a good plan. It is not a good thing. You should not deceive the people who may one day trust you with their life. Hunting can be dangerous, your leader is correct to be cautious. I do not think he is protecting you by keeping you away from the hunt. I was only one hand when Brun took me on my first hunt. Brac and I learned what to do by watching from a safe distance. I will speak to your leader."

Durc went alone and explored the land to the south. He came back to camp that afternoon with three beaver pelts and a lynx over his shoulder. He sat near the fire and worked the skins. Ura watched him for a while, and then sat next to him. Durc did not acknowledge her presence. After a very long silence she gestured. "This girl would like to help you scrape the beaver skins. Would you allow it?"

Durc grunted and tossed one of the skins to the ground in front of her. She started to scrape the skin and then stopped, wanting to say something. She scraped some more and then motioned, "I am sorry I am unlucky." Then she immediately resumed her work.

Durc let her words drift away and then responded. "Yes. It is so unfortunate that you are unlucky."

She visibly shrank at the confirmation of her worst fears. Even he knew it to be true, she thought.

Durc finished his work and set it aside. "You are so unlucky that you are promised to be mated to a deformed boy. It is not the luck I would like to have. I am very lucky. I was born a deformed boy and my mother was told to leave me in the woods for the wolves. I was very lucky that my mother would not allow it. I was also very lucky that my mother lost her milk and I had to be nursed by all the other mothers of the cave. Then my mother was cursed with death and she left me behind in a cave that had just collapsed from a ground shaking. I was so lucky not to have to go with her to the land of the spirits. Then my luck got even better when I had to cripple the leader of our cave before he could kill our medicine woman. Since then I have lived under his murderous stare, but I am lucky, so he has not attacked me. I am so lucky and you are so unlucky. It is understandable why you think this way."

Ura was confused. His words did not match what he was saying. How could that be?

"Yes, you were so unlucky that you father punished your mother by letting you live. You were so unlucky that he provided for you and your mother until he went to the spirit world. He died trying to provide for you. You are so unlucky. If you weren't there, he would not have had to provide for you. He would not have had to hunt at all if it wasn't for you. So unlucky you are. Now you will have to come with me back to my cave and be my mate because no normal man will have you. This is your luck, bad, bad luck to be promised to the deformed boy. And your mother will be coming to our cave with you so the worst luck of all is you will be all alone with strangers, and your mother."

"No, it is good luck if I am to be your mate."

"But how can that be if you are so unlucky?"

"It is good luck because you are lucky. I will bring bad luck to you."

"Which will it be? Will I bring you my good luck or you bring me your bad luck? Is your luck more powerful than my luck? Maybe we will have no luck at all, good or bad. Maybe we will make our own luck."

Ura sat staring at him in confusion.

"Ura. I am not normal. I do things that Clan men do not do. A life with me will not be normal. Is that what you want?"

"Yes. This girl wants to be the mate of the hunter Durc."

"Could you be the mate of the Leader Durc?"

The bear was agitated. They has stopped feeding him the previous night. He had never known hunger before. He paced the cage and tested the strength. The smell of the food cooking drove him to want to escape. He saw the boy the had fed him several times approach. He sat up and begged, hoping the boy would end his hunger.

Durc spoke his nonsense words to the big brown animal. "I am sorry. I have no food for you. You will go to the spirit world soon. I wish for you to take a message to my mother. Tell her I am very happy with the mate that she arranged for me. Tell her that she was right to leave me behind."

The bear just stared at him as the funny sounds emanated from the boy. He whined, hoping the food would come. Durc reached through the cage and put his hand on the big head. The bear was tempted to make a meal of this offered arm, but decided it would not satisfy his need. He slumped against the cage and let the arm comfort him.

Durc walk away and the hunters gathered. The three chosen to fight the bear stood ready for the battle. The others formed a circle of spears to protect the others. The bear sensed the battle for survival coming and became extremely agitated. When the door to the cage opened he exploded out looking for escape. The first hunter ran forward with his spear. The bear felt it penetrate, but did not slow down. The hunter's neck slid between his powerful jaws, and the rush of blood hit his tounge and the head separated from the body. The other two hunters spears also penetrated, but the bear did not slow. The taste of blood was now driving him. A swipe of the giant claw disemboweled one and left him writhing in pain on the ground. The bear ran from the final hunter toward the gathered crowd. He felt a spear penetrate his back as he fell upon two standing guard. He ripped one open as his paw held another to the ground. The unarmed people behind ran in fear.

Durc stood alone facing the bear. "I am sorry my friend." He said as his arm began to move. "Tell my mother of my love for her." The two stones crushed the bear's forehead. The beast sagged into unconsciousness as the hunters closed in to end the carnage. Durc helped Uba tend to the wounded people.

"Ursus has claimed many lives." Brun said later. "The spirits do not protect us."

"No one from our cave was harmed." Durc said. "I think it is not wise to fight a bear. I think it would be better to set him free."

"How will he tell them of our bravery?"

"Would it not be better that he tell them of our compassion?"

Brun grunted. The ceremonies were subdued because of the mourning for all those killed and maimed. In some ways, permanent injuries were worse. The man not only could not contribute, he would be a burden. They all would consider wandering off into the wilderness alone to find a way to the spirit world. Few would actually do so.

Chapter 15: Returning Home

The night before they were to head back to their home cave, Brun called together his Clan.

"Our rank dropped significantly at this gathering and that is my failure. The good news is that our cave is to be the host of the next gathering." He described what preparations would have to be made.

"We have known that Durc's future mate would be coming back to our cave after this gathering. Her mother has requested that she accompany her daughter. I have agreed to this request."

Broud stood and waited to be recognized. Brun knew what he would say, so he ignored him.

"We also have had a request for the hunter Joba from Grok's clan to take Igra as his mate. I have asked if he would consider joining our Clan, since Grok's clan has many young hunters in his small cave and we have few in our big cave. He has accepted, so Joba will be traveling back with us and establishing a hearth with Igra.

Broud masked his rage at being ignored. He grunted his displeasure and formally requested to speak.

"Do you have something to contribute regarding matters that affect YOU, Broud?"

"That woman is unlucky."

"How exactly does that affect YOU, Broud."

"She would bring her bad luck to our cave if you allow her and her deformed daughter to join us."

Brun tired of the insolence. "We have had a lot of bad luck lately. The spirits seemed to have abandoned us when you had Mo-gur cast a death curse without proper protections. Some have said you are unlucky, that you brought the bad luck upon us. Would it be in the interest of our Clan to not bring YOU back to our cave?"

Broud was dumbfounded. Was Brun actually thinking of expelling him from his cave? "You would reject the son of your mate? You would not survive without your best hunter. You are too old to hunt now. You think this Joba will replace me? And Brac? You think Brac will stay with you and lead your Clan when you are too old. He is in my hearth, he stays with me. He will go where I go."

"I know this Broud. I have talked with Leader Gada, and he has agreed to accept you, Oga, Brac and Grev into his Clan. I think you will be happier there."

"No. NO! This is my Clan! You have chosen outsiders and these deformed monsters over me for the very last time." He charged at Brun, but Brun had expected this. He had been leaning on his heavy spear while he addressed his Clan. He swung it quickly knocking Broud to the side and Broud sprawled to the ground. Durc jumped up and readied a stone in his sling. Brun waved him off as he turned and pressed the sharp tip of his spear into Broud's chest.

Awkwardly with one hand he motioned to the son of his mate. "These people will never follow you. Even if you succeed in killing me now, you will never be leader. Calm yourself. Think about the fresh start you have moving to Gada's Clan. Go peacefully. You may be right, my Clan may be cursed, the spirits have abandoned us. Go with Gada's Clan and rid yourself of my bad decisions and your enemies."

Broud slowly calmed and thought about how he could knock the spear away and kill the leader, his mother's mate, the man of his hearth. How had he come to this? He wanted to kill the most important man in his life. Brun was right. He liked Gada and his hunter's. He had spent much of this gathering with them. He became still and then nodded at Brun. "I will go with Gada."

After Broud and his family left them, Brun's Clan was both agitated and relieved. "This may be the end of our Clan. We were barely surviving before, and we have lost much. You now have a choice. You can choose to join one of the other Clan's. You can come back to the cave with us and we will try to survive the winter. I do not have many seasons left in me. I have made many unusual decisions, and I regret only one of them. I should have never made Broud leader. I should have seen his bad spirits." He sighed heavily. "I did see them, and I paid no attention to them.

"I will tell you now what The Mo-gur told me. During our ceremony last night, he came to me. My brother was old and had lost his will to go on in this world. My brother was crippled, but he was much stronger than I ever could have been. He saw the future. He told me of a future that made no sense to me. I don't understand how or why, but he told me the Clan has not much time left on this world. He told me that Durc was the future of the Clan. This thing we call a deformity, the mixing of spirits with the Others, is what The Mo-gur told me was how the Clan would survive. The Others have better weapons and tools. I have seen them. We have lived with one of the Others, and he showed us how we are different. Each of the Others can do the work of man and woman. We don't have the memories for this.

"Durc has shown us his ability to do both the work of a man and a woman. He has his mother's luck. Without his mammoth, we all would have starved. If he had not stopped Broud, the long line of medicine women that my sister Iza, and my mother, and her mother before her, who were all first among all medicine women of the Clan, would have been lost to us. Durc will be the next leader of this Clan. He will either be the end of this Clan or, as The Mo-gur told me, the start of a new Clan, one that lives on after The Clan has perished from this world.

"You must choose whether you want to be a part of this new Clan, or to go to another Clan as Broud has. We leave in the morning after the meal. I will delay if anyone needs time to make other arrangements."

Durc approached Brun after the group dispersed. "We need more hunters. We may have no food when we get back to the cave if a bear found our cache."

"I agree, but who will join your cave now?" Brun asked, too weary to think well.

"I want to ask my friends. One or two may join us, and they have been very helpful on my small hunts."

Brun just grunted. Boys would be little help for years. Brun was resigned to The Mo-gur's vision. He will join his ancestors this winter, maybe next. He had gauged the look in his people's eyes, most would try to go elsewhere if it could be arranged. Most had already made quiet inquiries during the gathering. He was tired, so he went to his hearth and waited for sleep to come.

The next morning Brun's entire Broud-less clan, along with 7 new members were packed and ready to travel back to the cave. Brun waved a "walk with Ursus" to their hosts and headed back to the East. It was an easy 6 day walk for the group and they arrived mid-morning to find all of their winter food stores untouched. Brun relaxed and the cave began to warm as the hearth fires were lit. They used the cairn stones to establish several new hearth boundaries. They quickly settled in to their normal hunting and gathering routines.

Mo-gur performed several ceremonies, starting with the mating of Joba and Igra. All of the members felt that the spirits were once again with them. None said it, but all believed it was Broud that had kept them away.

Durc provided Oda and Ura with fresh meat and warm furs at their man-less hearth. It would eventually be his hearth when Ura reached womanhood, but that could be years away. He stayed at Vorn and Uba's hearth and continued learning medicine.

Chapter 16: Choice

Winter came on gently and the group fell into the routines of interior life. It was not long before most of the women were with child, including Ura's mother, Oda.

"It looks like this cave is lucky for you." Uba gestured to the happy woman.

"It is not lucky to have a child without a mate." Oda responded gently.

"There are many men to choose from, is there one you prefer?"

"It is not my place to say, but Cras has been kind to me,"

"He is just a boy." Oda shrugged. Uba was surprised. "I will tell Durc and see what can be arranged."

Later the next day Uba was making a poultice and instructing Durc on the many uses of the ? leaf. She told him of Oda's request.

"It has never been done, mating a boy to a woman. Cras has been on many hunts with me, but he has not made the kill himself. Gorban has expressed interest in her and he is more appropriate in age. When Brun heard of Oda's pregnancy, he all but made that decision. I will talk with him, but I'm not sure I think it is a good match."

A short conversation with Cras confirmed that he wished to mate the older woman. This newly formed group was unbalanced he realized. There were too many men for the women. Durc should have noticed the imbalance before they left the Clan gathering. Surely one of the other clans would have had women to spare.

Brun told Durc what he already knew he would. A leader needed to make the correct decision because it would affect relationships for all time forward. Why was the leader to make these decisions in the first place? Two of his people wanted to be mated. That should be the end of it. Why would he force an unwanted pair together? What is Gorban to do? There are no women for him to mate, and except for Ura, and there would be no women for him to mate until Uba's daughter became a woman, perhaps 6 years from now. Durc could send a runner to other caves in the spring to find some women who could be spared.

He went to Oda's hearth. She prepared him a meal and they sat in silence. Ura watched him peripherally as she worked the inside surface of a bowl to an ever finer smoothness.

"You cannot mate Cras, he is not a man yet."

"This woman would wait for him if the leader allows it."

"Gorban is a better match for you."

Oda said nothing, but her posture disagreed with him strongly.

"Speak up woman. Why is he not a better match?" Oda looked scared to answer. "I will not hurt you woman. You need not fear me. I need you to tell me why. I need you to not keep your thoughts secret from me. This future leader cannot make a good decision if I do not have all of the necessary information."

Oda hesitated for a long time, Durc waited patiently. "This woman wishes to be a good Clan woman and will do what she is told."

"And?" Durc motioned for her to continue.

"This woman has had a difficult life. My child was killed when a man of the Others forced his needs upon me. My mate punished me for this and for producing a deformed child. He was a good provider, but he was never a kind man. He treated me worse every year I did not produce another child for his hearth." She became distraught.

Durc put his hand on hers to comfort and support her. She looked at her daughter and then Durc realized there were things she did not want her daughter to know.

"Ura. Please go to Uba and ask her to prepare some tea for your mother. Wait there until she is done." Ura put her bowl and sanding stone down and went to Uba's hearth. Uba had been watching, and knew to take plenty of time preparing the tea, and engaged Ura in distracting conversation. "Please continue." Durc gestured when Ura was occupied.

"This woman is ashamed. Too ashamed to speak these things to a man."

"I don't understand why. I am a man, but I will also be your leader. I need to know these things you are hiding. I promise I will keep them to myself if that is your concern."

Oda seemed very relieved with this promise, so she continued. "After Ura was born, my mate began choosing other women to relieve his needs with. He eventually stopped touching me at all, except when he would cuff me. No other man would relieve his needs with me either because I was unlucky. I had only Ura in my life and I began to believe that was enough. After we arrived here at this cave, and you began taking Ura with you gathering medicinal plants, I was even more isolated and alone than I had ever been. One day all the hunters except Cras were gone hunting."

Durc remembered Cras staying behind that day. He had told Durc he was not feeling well enough to hunt that day. Durc could not see any illness, and did see deception in his posture, but he thought it was a small bit of childish fear because woolly rhinoceros can be very dangerous. They had not caught up to the beast because it was pounding north to get ahead of the coming snow. They came back with a healthy young bison that night just ahead of the blizzard. Durc tried to remember more about Cras that night but could not.

"Cras was making me do things for him all morning. Fetch this, do that. I did not understand why, but I am a good Clan woman. When he asked me to get water from the stream instead of the spring inside the cave, I knew something was strange, but I did as I was asked. He followed me to the stream and when we were alone, he gave the signal. It was very tentative, like he had never done it before. I did not move because I was not sure what I had seen. No man had made the signal to me in such a long time, I just was not expecting it. He then gestured 'please' to me and repeated the signal. It was so sweet, and I could tell his need was very full, so I immediately did what he asked. Afterward he laid there holding me and it was like I was a child again in the arms of my mother. I had been so alone and now I did not want to be any other way."

Durc could not remember seeing either of them couple back at the onset of winter, he could not remember seeing them together at all. It was only after her totem had been defeated that Gorban and other men had become interested in her and they had started relieving their needs with her.

"Was it just the one time?"

"No." She shook her head shyly. "It was three times by the stream that afternoon. Now I go to his hearth late every night after all are asleep and return early before Ura wakes. We are very quiet, and he holds me afterward. He makes me feel like I am his entire world. He does things for me, like he is my mate already. We know we cannot be mated because he is not a man yet. I know it is selfish for me to want to be treated this way. Gorban is rough as most Clan men are, and I do not enjoy relieving his needs. You will be leader, I will do as you command." She finished, her posture pleading for her desired outcome.

Durc sat quietly in thought. Ura brought the tea and Oda drank it dutifully. "I am glad you have told me this. You will not be mated to Gorban because you are unlucky."

Ura was surprised at Durc's hurtful words, and even more surprised at her mother's happiness to hear those words. Durc walked away and took Brun and the Mo-gur into the back of the cave where they discussed matters of importance.

The spring thaw came early, and all were happy to leave the confinement of the cave. The hunters spent time at their practice field renewing their hunting and coordination skills. Durc included the boys who were to be men soon in the most difficult and dangerous parts of the plans. It was time for them to make their kills. Durc wanted to get another mammoth this season. He watched and coached Cras in particular until he thought he was ready.

A herd of onagers was spotted to the South so the hunters headed out. The group easily isolated several of the beasts and Cras made his kill, thrusting a spear into the neck as it reared up in front of him. The others were dispatched and carried back to the cave.

The feast that night was punctuated with Cras's manhood ceremony.

Brun started his speech as the group settled down after the ceremony. "As you know I am not able to hunt with you anymore. I have made many unusual decisions as leader. I have tried to do what is best for the Clan. I have told you that Durc would be the new leader when I am done. I am done. Durc is your new leader. He will make unusual decisions just like I did. I will support his decisions as best I can in the time I have left, and I want you to do so as well.

Durc stood up and began motioning confidently. "Brun taught me how to hunt. He helped me and protected me. He has been an excellent example of how to be a leader. I will try to do what is best for the Clan. I need you to do that too. I cannot make all the decisions of this Clan. You need to make smart decisions for yourself. Our goals need to start with winter food storage and fire wood. After that we need tools and weapons. To this end we will be creating weapons to help us get the greatest beast. We will be hunting mammoth soon. Once that is secured we will be sending a small traveling group to other caves to see if any wish to join us. Gorban was a runner for his cave, so he is familiar with the location of many of the caves. He has volunteered to lead this group. If you wish to go with him either to visit, or to leave our cave, let us know. I know I am an unusual choice for leader, and you may find a different cave to your liking. I want you to stay here with us, but I also want you to want to be here.

"As I said before, I will try to do what is best for our Clan, but that may not be what is best for you. I need you to tell me what is best for you to help me make better decisions for all of us. To this end there are two people that have chosen to be mated. This may not be the best for the Clan, but I think it is better for our Clan. Cras, who is now a man, will be taking Oda to his hearth. He will be responsible for her unborn child and for Ura until she is mated." Durc watched for reaction and nobody was surprised or disturbed. The two had been increasingly open about their affection. He had discussed this with Gorban privately before spring, and suggested he travel to find a suitable mate. He was very accepting of this unusual idea because he still thought Oda was unlucky to have lost her mate and had a deformed child. Finding two additional women, or nearly women would also be his goal.

"I cannot be everything Brun is to all of us. I will never be as good a hunter as any of you because of my deformities. I will not even be leading the hunts. Vorn and Joba will lead their own groups. Most of us will go on the Mammoth hunt, but I will be hunting here around the cave more often than not."

They found a group of mammoth heading south and trailed them until they were only half a day's walk from their cave. They caught a large young male who had wandered away from the group. Durc's stones had no effect on the giant bones and tough hide. The hunters dispatched him with ease after Durc had blinded him. They set up camp and stayed 3 days to get the meat cut and dried. The hunters carried the enormous bulk back to the cave in relays as the women continued their butchery and tended the fires. Durc helped the women when he wasn't chasing off or killing small predators. In less than a moon cycle they had more than enough meat stocked up to get them through the next winter.

Gorban left for the seaside cave with Iban, who wished to visit his cave and tell them of his adventures to manhood. Durc suspected he would stay there, but did not begrudge his friend this. He had the hardest time with separation and Durc suspected only came because the other two boys were going. They carried with them pieces of the mammoth tusk and other valuable byproducts as gifts for the seaside cave. Durc hoped they would trade for some of the precious salt and other products of the sea.

Three parts of a moon later Durc was surprised to see a large group of Clan walking from the south. He wondered if a Clan had lost their cave and were searching for a new one. He remembered their long wandering search for a cave with Broud as leader. The weather had been harsh and the food very scarce. It was the only time he had known hunger. He would gladly help people in such a bind, and if they had room, invite them to stay permanently.

When they got closer he saw that it was Gorban and Iban and a dozen other men and women all carrying heavy loads. Gorban greeted the young leader and introduced the others. Durc recognized most of them, but did not know their names. Gorban said they wished to trade some of their dried sturgeon for dried mammoth. Durc agreed and they set up some hearths for the travelers to make temporary camp. A quarter moon later six of the men shouldered a large quantity of mammoth and headed back to the south to their seaside cave. Three young women and one girl stayed with them. Durc could see Iban was torn but decided to stay with Durc's clan and mate one of the young women from his former cave. Uba took in the new girl, Eka, as an older sister to Iba. It would be probably two more years before she would be a woman. Uba tested Eka's memories and found she had a limited ability for healing. She may never be a medicine woman, but she could be helpful like Durc has been.

Chapter 17: Closeness

Before winter fell again, Gorban and his mate had made a trading journey to the caves in the east and brought back some bison and a rare tiger fur in exchange for their mammoth and sturgeon. Some exchanges like this occurred during the Clan gatherings, but Durc thought it should occur more often. Gorban enjoyed the traveling more than hunting, and he agreed to continue the following year. He especially enjoyed exchanging stories because he was the center of attention when telling stories of Durc's Clan, and all winter he would tell stories from the other Clans he had visited.

Autumn was passing, and the days were getting shorter. An occasional snow fell and quickly melted. All the members of the cave were well fed and getting their winter projects ready for the long indoor run. Uba came to Durc with the news. "Ura's totems had battled for the first time. She is now a woman." Durc smiled, and unusual expression that appeared more as a grimace of pain to the Clan people, but Uba knew it meant something different when it was on Durc's face. "She must go into the woods alone for her period of isolation. If it were winter she could stay in the cave."

"What do you mean, alone?"

"It is what Clan women have always done. My first time I went to your mother's small secret cave and your mother visited me and brought me food. I was scared and barely slept. It was so quiet, and every little noise made my heart beat so fast."

"That is crazy. A young girl has no place out in the world alone."

"You may be right. But I will say that after that moon time by myself, almost nothing frightens me. Even Broud rushing at me with his spear was not as scary as those first few nights in the cave alone. You know how Aga was always afraid of everything? Her first moon time was in winter so she has never known anything except the comfort of the cave."

"If she must leave the cave, I will go with her to protect her."

"This is not the way it is done. You cannot be near her, or any women when her totems are battling. Oda and I have already discussed it. Because it is so cold we will go with her to set up a traveling shelter and fire but she will be alone at night for her isolation."

Durc was silent, thinking of how he could best protect her. He could order them to allow her isolation in the cave. But what if it did keep her a frightened girl the rest of her life? A fire should keep the animals away, and he could make sure she had enough firewood. If only she knew how to use a weapon. It had been forbidden to all women except his mother. She was comfortable sleeping outside the cave in large groups.

"Tell her the leader, her future mate, waits for her safe return."

Durc spent the following days and nights reducing the predators around the cave. He returned with armloads of wolf pelts and wolverine skins. Uba knew what he was trying to do, and was certain there were many more hyena carcasses littering the nearby hills. She was grateful when he brought her a thick winter coated lynx fur for her next child now growing inside her.

Oda went to visit her daughter and taught her the things a Clan woman needed to know. Oda hesitated to share the more personal discoveries with Cras that she knew were not a normal part of a Clan woman's life. What if she told her to expect this and it was not something Durc would provide? It would be better that she never knew of such things. But if she told her daughter, her daughter could request such things. This is not what a good Clan woman does. She had seen Cras and her together, so she cannot be wholly ignorant of her mother's pleasure. Ura could tell her mother was holding back.

"Mother, what is it?"

"My daughter. I am going to tell you now of things that are unknown to most Clan women. To tell you of such things may only serve to disappoint you. You have a good man to be mated to. I hope he will be as good a mate to you as Cras has been to me. Your little brother Creb has been a joy to me. Not because he is not deformed like you. It is because he has made Cras and I even closer than we were before. Closeness is not a normal part of a Clan woman's life. I wish for you closeness with Durc. He is unusual, not like other Clan men. No clan leader would have mated me to Cras. It went against all Clan tradition. He did it because I confessed to him my closeness. He not only made me confess such unusual things, he understood them. And he accepted them! I think he will want this closeness with you. If he doesn't, I think you should request it from him. It is not a Clan's woman's place to demand such things. Durc may be more accepting of such things, from you."

"I know he will be."

Now Oda was intrigued by the mystery in her daughter's eyes. "Really? How do you know?"

"We have… well… discussed it."

"Really? What have you discussed?"

"Durc has told me of his mother and her life. He knows he is different because he and his mother could make better talking sounds with each other. Because we are both deformed, Durc wondered if I could make talking sounds as well. So, on our medicinal plant walking days, we practiced and experimented and found out we could both produce a lot of sounds that Clan people cannot. Durc told me to keep it secret, so I have. We can now communicate much to each other without hand signs."

"What does it sound like?" Oda asked in amazement.

Without hands moving she let loose a singing string of sounds remarkably soothing and soft.

"What did that mean to you?"

Ura motioned, "You are the sun and stars, the fire and lightning, the glow flies under the moon. You are all the light in this world to me. Together we will never know darkness."

There were tears in her daughter's eyes and Oda thought there was something terribly wrong. Ura calmed her and said it was something that happened to Durc and her when they were emotional. Durc had told her his mother was the same way.

"Those words did not make any sense. They had no purpose."

"Durc said them to me under the last full moon. He was telling me that he wanted to live his life serving me. That I was his entire reason for living and without me he will die inside."

"Oh my. Those are not the words of a normal Clan man."

"I think this might be the closeness that you are talking about."

"I think you are right. My closeness with Cras has been a physical thing, we never talk about it. We just know it without words. To put it in words, that is quite magical."

"That is exactly how it feels, magical, other worldly." Ura then had a thought, Other worldly. The Others. Durc had told her that their deformity made them look like the Others. Ura had never seen the Others. Durc's mother was one of the Others and she told him that he was not deformed, he was just part Clan, part Other.

"I go now. Are you scared?"

"I was last night, but not so much now. I know Durc is out there to protect me."

"He has come here?"

"No. I just know him. He would not let anything happen to me. I am his light."

Ura returned to the cave under the new moon. Durc had built a new hearth for them and it was full of new wolf furs. They went into mating isolation, and the wolf furs were all anyone could see moving the entire time.

"Durc. This is not how my mother described it to me. She said you would be behind me, and I would feel you push inside me. I did not expect you to be on top of me, looking into my eyes."

"How could I not look at the light of my life? I never want to stop looking at you. I never want to stop touching you."

During the morning meal, which he prepared for her, he talked with her about the days she was in isolation.

"I knew you were out there, protecting me. Is that where all these wolf skins came from? Or is this just an expression of your wolf totem. Is this the wolf hearth?"

"I like that, wolf hearth. This was an entire pack of seven. They set upon me to the north of your camp. After I killed two and injured a third all but one ran away. I think the one that stayed was the leader. He was fearless and came right at me while I was pulling stones from my pouch. I jumped to the side and stumbled as he lunged for me and he nipped me here. He turned to show her the bite wound that was healing on his side. Ura was appalled. "He turned quickly and howled, I assumed to rally his pack. He was too close for my sling so I grabbed a nearby stone and swung it wildly just to scare him off. Luckily it hit him on his open jaw as he was lunging again and broke it. He yelped strangely because he could not close his mouth. He kept lunging at me, but he could not bite down. I pulled my spear from the ground and thrust it into his open mouth. The rest of his pack disappeared when they saw their leader's death. I brought the three pelts back here and had Uba put a poultice on the bite. I then went back out and chased the remaining four wolves until I got them all. "

"You could have been killed!"

"No, you could have been killed. They would have found you and eaten you and not left a single scrap of unlucky Ura behind." Durc smiled, and so did Ura.

Chapter 18: Dura

By spring there were five new children born, and three more women were close to delivery. There had been two others born too early and had not survived. Uba had two born together, and was weary from all the attention that two hungry babies demanded. Ura helped as much as she could, but her protruding belly was becoming difficult to deal with.

When one woman had given birth to a massively deformed baby, only one arm, tiny misshapen head, and stubs for legs, Durc pulled Uba aside. "Uba, I think Ura's baby will be born deformed like her and I are. As long as it is as normal, as I was when I was born, Ura is not to not take the baby to the woods for disposal."

"Why do you think such a thing will happen?"

"It is just a suspicion I have."

"I don't believe you. Tell me what you know." Uba insisted.

"I asked my mother why I did not have a sister like she did, like you Uba. My mother told me that any baby she would have would be considered deformed and would not be allowed to live. She told me what she had to do to get Brun to allow me to live. She did not think he would do it again. Then she said it was unlikely that any man would give her a baby because she was ugly. I did not know what she meant at the time, but now I think she believed that babies come from a man relieving his needs with a woman."

"That is not what happens. Only when a man's totem defeats the woman's totem a baby will be created."

"Maybe, maybe not. Something Oda told me makes me think different. Everyone thought she was unlucky because her totem could not be defeated after the deformed Ura was born. But she told me that her mate stopped relieving his needs with her after Ura was born and no other man would do it because she was unlucky, especially after her mate died hunting."

"But Groban did not start relieving his needs with her until after her totem had been defeated."

"I promised to keep it secret, so let me just say that she helped a certain young boy with his, um, signal making."

"Really? And that's why she requested him to mate." Uba said in understanding.

"Please keep it to yourself, it hardly matters now. Anyway, I think Ura's baby will be deformed because both of us are deformed. Even if it was just my wolf totem defeating her ground squirrel totem it may be deformed because of me."

Ura had a very difficult delivery. Durc defied all convention and held her closely throughout the birth. He was leader, and no one would deny him this. He did not like seeing her suffer as she was. As he watched what was happening he imagined the baby inside and how it traveled into the outside world. He wondered if he were to press on her belly would it help expel it. He positioned her in front of him, reclining on his chest. He quietly talked sweet calming words into her ear and as she pushed, he gently pressed his hands on her belly. He had spent the last moons touching that belly with greater and greater affection. Now he pressed it in the vain hope he could reduce her suffering. The baby came out quickly after that and, as expected, it had a long weak neck and a more rounded head.

Durc whispered in Ura's ear. "Our child is beautiful little girl, just like her mother." They both cried openly as Uba cleaned her off and placed her at her mother's breast.

"They're not yours anymore." Ura whispered into Durc's ear with a smile as the baby suckled.

"This leader is willing to share."

"The name of this child is Dura." The member's of Durc's Clan filed by and said the name of the new child.

Durc then took the baby over to Brun who was unable to get up. "The child's name is Dura." Brun said weakly. "I had hoped I would greet the next leader before I walked in the spirit world."

"You may have. Who is to say she will not be leader one day?"

"Durc. Will there be nothing left of Clan ways before long? How can you be the future of the Clan if our ways have died away? I am not sure what I have done in making you leader. I shall talk with my brother Creb soon about his visions of you. I am proud of what you have done here. I shall tell your mother what you have accomplished. I miss that ugly woman. I will tell her about you. Walk with Ursus, Durc."

"Walk with Ursus my leader, my teacher, my friend." Durc motioned to the sleeping man.

"Shall we get another mammoth for trading this year? Or should we travel to the sea to get our own fish?" Durc posed the questions to his two hunt leaders and Groban.

"I would like to bring fish to the cave near the fire mountain. They never travel to the sea, so fish could be very valuable to them."

"I would like to fish as well, it has been many years for me." Vorn said.

"I have had enough fishing for two lifetimes. I will stay behind and guard the cave." Joba motioned jovially.

"Good, I have tired of mammoth meat. I would like to get some fish roe. That is such a treat when it is fresh. We will leave for the sea when the moon is full. Should we go to the cave by the sea or to the nearer inlet to the east?"

The men were pleased that their leader asked their input. "Closer will make the carrying easier. We could easily make several trips." Vorn said.

"We should not impose on the cave by the sea. They may not be able to accommodate such a large group who arrives unannounced. I invited them here last year only because I knew we had plenty of mammoth and many of them would be staying here anyway. I think many would like to visit their previous home. Maybe this year we could send a runner and ask if they would accommodate a visit next summer. Iban will run there, he knows the way well."

"That is a good plan, Gorban. You will make a good leader."

"What do you mean?"

"I will be leader for the next few years. When you have had enough traveling, I want you to take over the cave."

"What will you do?"

"I will enjoy my mate and her children."

"But, if Ura has a son, he will be the next leader."

"No. You can make your mate's son the next leader if you choose to do so. Broud was given leadership because of his birth. He was a terrible leader. You should look for leadership values in the next leader, not which hearth he is born to. At the rate we are growing, we may need two leaders and another cave soon. In your travels you should keep an eye out for such places to dwell. It is hazardous for a Clan to go in search after a disaster."

Groban was amazed. He could not imagine a young man giving up power. Old leaders usually gave it up when they could no longer hunt. He had never thought about being a leader, though many more decisions were given to him since he began his trading journeys. Did he want to be leader? Durc seemed to dislike it. Would he dislike it?

"This is unusual," he motioned. The two hunt leaders nodded as well.

"Most decisions I make are unusual, wouldn't you agree?"

They all nodded again.

"You are welcome to bring back the usual boring Clan ways when you are leader. I hope you will keep some of the new ways. Perhaps you would pick the trade journey man to replace you. And you two will pick the best hunt leaders to replace you. You will be a far better judge of that than Groban or I.

The men nodded thoughtfully. Durc stood and stretched, and then continued solidifying his decision. "Groban, give me two more years of trade journeys and in the third year we will begin the planning for the Clan gathering we shall host. We will make it the best gathering any Clan has ever known. Until the last gathering, Brun's Clan was always first. Wouldn't it be great if we were first again?"

They all nodded enthusiastically. Then they went back to their hearths to think about the future. This is what Durc had realized. The Clan only thought about the immediate future. Surviving the winter was their longest term goal. Durc's deformed mind was thinking past the Clan gathering. He thought about traveling northwest with his family to find and meet the Others. His mother was up there with the Others. He wanted to see her again. He wanted to talk to her. Not with his hands, with his voice. He wanted to thank her for fighting for his life, and arranging for the light of his life to be his mate. He wanted her to know that he was leader of Brun's Clan, not Broud. He wanted her to know that she did the right thing leaving him with Uba. These were his people, not the Others. He wanted to meet them, not be one of them.

Chapter 19: Sacrifice

Three years later Ura was carrying her second child, Dura finally being weaned the winter before. Durc walked with Uba's daughters, gathering medicinal plants and uncovering the girls' memories they already knew. They were soon pointing out and naming plants that even he did not remember. His daughter had no interest in plants. Dura only wanted to run. Occasionally she would dart into view, wave, and be off again. He could not keep up, and as worrisome as it was, he let her run as she pleased. Her legs and arms were much longer than her contemporaries. At the cave by the sea the previous year, she would hardly come out of the water so taken by swimming she was. No one in the Clan could swim, and neither Durc nor Ura were interested in trying. Try as they might, no one was going to make Dura a good Clan woman. Her future was adventure.

As promised, Durc gave up the leadership and began informal training with the Mo-gur and his apprentice. He had little interest in the spirit world, but wanted a better understanding of the timing cycles. How many moons between winters is an important measure when you are traveling long distances. He spent his days exploring with Dura, and almost always brought back meat for dinner. Dura was fascinated with hunting, and was soon very good with a sling, as long as what she aimed for was not moving. She knew never to touch a sling or any weapon in front of the other Clan people. Even as open minded as Gorban's Clan was, weapons were still a man's realm. Ura had no interest in weapons because she did not venture far from the cave, and never alone. She was still a good Clan woman.

The hunters had been scouting for cave bears but there were few in this region. To get a cub for the Clan gathering they had to capture it in the early spring, preferably while mother was still hibernating.

The cave had become so prosperous that very little hunting was needed during the Clan gathering. Much of the time was dedicated to the competitions and telling stories. Groban's Clan dominated all the competitions, and Broud sat jealously on the sidelines, too old and lame to participate in any of the competitions. The constant pain in his leg had grown worse over the years, and he was enraged to see even more deformed children wandering around HIS cave. Gorban's Clan was once again first among the Clan, but everyone knew it was Durc who had made it that way. Durc demonstrated his sling skills over and over to the amazement of all. He demonstrated his throwing spear and how he could kill from a safer distance. The Clan men had a different arm structure, so they could not throw well enough for it to be useful. They were intrigued by the bone and flint tips Durc had fastened with sinew. He told them how much easier it was to penetrate the thick hide of the mammoth they were now eating.

Broud was seething, and his rage began to blind him. He picked up his spear and limped toward the deformed boy that had stolen his cave from him. Durc heard a scream and turned to see Broud approaching him spear ready to thrust. He dodged the point as he rolled away, grasping for his sling. Broud's free hand swung and connected, sending him sprawling to the ground unconscious, sling and stones flying far from his grasp.

Broud moved to finish him off but Ura ran to protect her mate. Broud grimaced and grunted in annoyance, hesitated, saw her deformity clearly, and thrust his spear into her chest. She fell back on to her mate pulling Broud and his spear forward. He put his foot on her pregnant belly and yanked his spear free. He lifted his spear with both hands and took aim at the unconscious Durc. The men close by were so stunned with this they barely had time to comprehend what had happened, but they started to move to grab at Broud. Before a single man had touched him, his spear was again moving down.

A stone struck the side of the raging man's head, crushing his skull with the impact. Broud fell sideways into the arms of a Groban, who was among those rushing to stop him. The two fell to the ground. Broud twitched spasmodically, his bloody spear still gripped tightly in hands. Two other men pulled him off of Groban and took the spear from his hands.

Uba ran to Ura's side, knowing immediately there was nothing she could do for her. She was gasping, her head turning toward her mate, her hand trying to reach for him. Uba lifted Durc's hand to hers and repeated to her fading eyes. "Durc will be fine. Durc will be fine." She said some words that were unintelligible to Uba, then stopped moving. Uba considered cutting in to take the baby, but it was too early. She turned her attention to Durc. His face was red from where he was struck, but there was no blood. He was breathing normally and, Uba strangely thought, peacefully. That would change. He would kill Broud for hurting the one he loved. He should have killed him when he tried to hurt her, she thought. That man was full of evil spirits. She should have given him killing medicine instead of healing medicine. She then looked over at Broud's body and realized that no one would have to kill him. He was dead despite the occasional twitch in his leg. A large red area surrounded his collapsed head. Durc would need calming when he awoke. Uba calmly walked to get her medicine bag.

All eyes were on the three motionless bodies in the middle of the gathering area. Groban was the only one who had seen where the stone had come from. Dura had dropped the sling and was weeping over her mother's body. Oda joined them and comforted Dura, as she covered the horrible wound in her daughter's body.

Durc awoke later in his hearth, carried there and attended by his closest friends. He remained calm through the news of his mate's death. He asked for water. Then he asked "What have you done with Broud?"

They looked at each other uncomfortably. Cras spoke up, "We wrapped his body and prepared it for burial."

"So, he is dead." Durc motioned curtly.

"Yes. Struck in the side of the head with a stone. It all happened so fast. We are not sure how."

"I am, Ura told me. Now I know it was not just imagination. Ura told me what happened before she left for the spirit world." He sat up, a little dizzy and disoriented. He looked at the furs that would no longer be warmed by the light of his life. Tears would come, but not yet. "Take me to Ura." He picked up a small wolf fur and carried it to the back of the cave. Oda and Uba sat nearby as Mo-gur covered the body in a red ochre salve. Thongs were then tied to hold her body in a fetal position and Durc helped lift her body on the wooden funeral pyre. Still no tears fell. He placed the wolf fur beneath her head and kissed her one last time on the lips. Others placed the items she would need in the next world beside her, and then they began piling the stones. Even as his light disappeared from sight he could not cry for her. Mo-gur made his motions to the spirit world and Durc took Dura's hand. Together they stepped forward and touched the torch to the funeral pyre.

They stood back and watched as the gentle flames consumed the woman of their life. Durc then noticed Broud's body nearby, still wrapped and tied in a carrying cloak.

"Dura." Durc said to get his daughter's attention. Then, in words only the two of them could understand, "My daughter. You have done a terrible thing. You have killed a man. I would be with your mother now if you had only waited another few heartbeats. For this you will be punished. You knew it was death if the Clan saw you touch a weapon."

"It was dark. No one saw me. They were all looking at Broud."

"Gorban saw you. That does not matter now. We are both cursed with death for what has happened here. Help me with this man you have killed."

He bent down and grabbed the loop of cord binding Broud's ankles and lifted. He took Dura's hand and placed it in the loop as well and they began dragging the body down the incline of the cave. Aga, Broud's mate, could not look at Durc as he passed by. She was horrified by what her mate had done to Ura. He stopped, got her attention, and then motioned "I am sorry for what I must do." Aga nodded slightly acknowledging his words.

They dragged the body down the hill and into the woods. Some were following, but Durc waved them back. In the woods he began to talk his words and Dura listened quietly as she pulled her share of the load.

"My daughter. Your mother came to me as I slept. She is very happy now in the world of spirits. She says it will be a very long time before we join her there. She wanted me to tell you how proud she was of you not hesitating to save my life, just as she had done." Durc's tears began to flow freely now as the corpse bounced behind them on the rough wooded terrain.

"Your mother loves you now more than ever, and she wants you to know that this terrible thing you have done has set you free. You are no longer a deformed girl of the Clan. You are a child of the Earth. You are one more link in an unbroken chain of life that is constantly seeking to improve itself. You are the best of both the Clan of the Cave Bear and the children of the great Earth Mother combined. Your children will conquer mountains and seas and even the stars. The Clan will fade away, but they will live on in your children."

Durc stopped and let go of Broud's feet, Dura let them fall with a thud. Durc took out a knife and cut away the shroud and clothes. The inside was filled with congealing blood. Durc cut away Broud's manhood and looked down at the crushed skull of the bloody head. "Good aiming, Dura."

"His head was not moving. It was simple."

"Do you understand that I am your father, that you came from my body as much as you came from your mother?"

"I think so father. The Clan children think I am wrong to say such things, but I trust you. You know so much more than the Clan."

"Someday you will learn the important things for a woman to know. For now, know that this part of a man is what puts babies inside a woman to grow. It can be done with great pleasure, like eating a honeycomb. Or it can be done with horrific pain, like a swarm of bees stinging and hurting and destroying. The first way is how you were brought into our lives. Your mother and I shared great pleasure in making you, and your brother, and the sister that went to the spirit world with your mother. The horrible, painful way is how your mother and I were brought into the world. Your mother's mother was forced by a man of the Other's, not much different than this man here. Actually, no different. This man, this thing in my hand, was used to hurt my mother terribly over many moons. He did not know he was creating me with his hurtful actions."

"Are you saying this man was your father?"

"Yes Dura. He hated my mother so much, and yet his hatred gave her the thing she wanted most, me. This was my beginning." He tossed the lump of flesh toward Broud's head. "And now this part of my life is at an end. I tell you this because I want you to know that a man should give you pleasure. If he chooses to give pain, he is evil, and you need to protect yourself from such evil. Always."

They sat down on a fallen tree facing the corpse. He put his arm around her and pulled her close.

"My beautiful daughter, we must leave the cave. You can come with me to where I am going. Or you can go on your own journey."

"Can I do both?" She said excitedly.

"I would like that. I would like that very much."

"Where are we going first?"

"Your mother told me much of the world's secrets. She told me that my mother is alive and is more than two year's journey toward the sunset.'

"The world is that big?"

"It is much bigger still."

"Is that where we are going?"

"I think so. First we will go to meet some of the Others to the north. They will help us learn the ways of the Others. This will make our journey easier."

They watched as some small animals crept out of hiding and began nibbling at the dead body.

Durc began signing an epitaph toward the carcass. "Father. This is the end you wanted for me, left to be eaten by the forest animals. This is the end you wanted for my mother, forcing her to go alone into a cold desolate world to die. This is the end you wanted for Uba's daughter, simply because she had a discolored patch of skin on her head. This was the end you wanted for us, it is the only end that you deserve. No Clan ceremonies. The Mo-gur will say no words over your grave. Hopefully you will stay forever with your evil spirits in some tortuous world."

Durc howled a wolf howl, and heard several similar voices answer from not far away.

"Come Dura. The animals of my totem will devour him soon enough. It is time to pack for our journey."

The End… Until Durc's Journey is written.


End file.
